stark

Stark is a strictly-typed stack-based compiled programming language with zero runtime.

Examples

extern fn printf(*i8 ...) -> (i32);

"hello world" printf

// 5 4 3 2 1
5
while dup 0 != {
    dup c"%d " printf(2) drop
    1 -
} drop
c"\n" printf drop

TODO

• Compilation
• Loops
  • Labels: 'x while'x (I like the idea of having this "tick" syntax like rust)
  • break out of loop
  • break to label: break'x
• Conditionals (see conditionals.st)
  • then
  • else
  • switch?
• Error handling
  • Report good type errors
  • Continue after error and report all at once
• Non-decimal integer literals
• Full suite of numbers: i8, i16, i32, i64, u8, u16, u32, u64
• Miette + thiserror for better errors
• Type system
  • Somehow validate that functions are using the correct args
• Functions
  • Extern functions
    • extern fn strlen(*i8) -> (i64);
    • Ability to change the linker symbol for this function

      extern("strlen") fn string_length(*i8) -> (i32);

  • User-defined functions
    • fn double(i64) -> (i64) { dup + }
    • type check function: stack = args, compile body, assert(stack = results)
    • Need to see if we can clean up the generated assembly
    • Ideally use linux calling convention so we can export the functions for use from other langauges
• Macros
• Modules
  • Imports
• Linking with libc
• Better CLI
• structs (#8)
• pointers
  • Typed pointers
    • Smarter pointer increments (like C)
• c-strings (null-terminated strings)
  • c"hello" -> "hello", 0
• Auto drop (and other global directives):
  • @auto_drop at top of file or something
• Asymmetrical strings: `' or even «» (or both!)
• Optional stack assertion line suffix: 5 dup u32 | .. u64 u32 (#12)
  • Syntax:

    <statements> ::= ; to be defined
    <type> ::= ; to be defined
    <type_or_range> ::= <type> | ".."
    <stack_assertion> ::= <type_or_range> | <type_or_range> <stack_assertion>
    <line> ::= <statements> | <statements> "|" <stack_assertion>
    

• Annotate stack cli argument that generates stack assertions automatically and print to stdout
• Proper BNF for the language