Bobby Lucero
72a1b82b43
- Add while, for, and do-while loops with break/continue - Implement assignment statements (prevents if(x=10) bugs) - Keep assignment expressions only for for-loop clauses - Fix critical memory management bug (dangling pointers in cleanup) - Add automatic memory cleanup with conservative reference counting - Consolidate documentation into single reference file - Add comprehensive test coverage for all loop types and edge cases - VSCode extension for bob highlighting and snippets
99 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
99 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
# Bob
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A modern programming language focused on safety and clarity.
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## Design Philosophy
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Bob prioritizes safety and functional programming while keeping things practical.
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## Assignment System
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Bob uses two types of assignments to prevent bugs while keeping useful functionality:
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### Assignment Statements
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```go
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var x = 5;
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x = 10; // Regular assignment
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y += 5; // Compound assignment
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```
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### Assignment Expressions (For Loops Only)
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```go
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for (var i = 0; i < 5; i = i + 1) { } // Assignment in for loop
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for (j = 0; j < 5; j += 1) { } // Assignment in for loop
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```
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### Why This Design?
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**Prevents Common Bugs:**
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```go
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// This would be a bug in many languages:
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if (x = 10) { } // Parse error in Bob - prevents accidental assignment
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// Bob forces you to write:
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x = 10;
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if (x == 10) { } // Clear comparison
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```
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**Keeps Expressions Pure:**
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```go
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// Prevents side effects in expressions:
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var result = (x = 10) + (y = 20); // Parse error
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// Forces clean code:
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x = 10;
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y = 20;
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var result = x + y; // Pure expression
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```
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**Supports Functional Programming:**
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```go
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// Prevents confusing patterns:
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var value = condition ? (x = 10) : (x = 20); // Parse error
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// Encourages clean patterns:
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x = condition ? 10 : 20; // Clear assignment
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```
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**Keeps For Loops Practical:**
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```go
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// For loops work naturally:
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for (var i = 0; i < 10; i = i + 1) { } // Assignment expressions allowed
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for (j = 0; j < 10; j += 1) { } // Assignment expressions allowed
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```
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### Benefits
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1. **Prevents Common Bugs**: No accidental assignments in conditionals
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2. **Expression Purity**: Expressions have no side effects
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3. **Clear Semantics**: Assignments are clearly statements
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4. **Functional Programming**: Encourages pure function patterns
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5. **Practical For Loops**: Maintains useful for loop syntax
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6. **Easier Debugging**: Clear separation of assignment and expression logic
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## Features
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- **Type Safety**: Dynamic typing with runtime type checking
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- **Functional Programming**: First-class functions, closures, recursion
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- **Memory Management**: Automatic memory management
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- **Error Handling**: Comprehensive error reporting
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- **Standard Library**: Built-in functions for common operations
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- **Tail Call Optimization**: Efficient recursive function calls
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## Documentation
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See [BOB_LANGUAGE_REFERENCE.md](BOB_LANGUAGE_REFERENCE.md) for complete language documentation.
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## Building
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```bash
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make clean && make
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./build/bob your_file.bob
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```
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## Testing
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```bash
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./build/bob test_bob_language.bob
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```
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