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https://github.com/yurixander/tails

🛠️ An experimental functional systems programming language, written in Rust and powered by LLVM as a backend.
https://github.com/yurixander/tails

compiler language llvm

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🛠️ An experimental functional systems programming language, written in Rust and powered by LLVM as a backend.

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An experimental functional systems programming language,
written in Rust, and powered by LLVM as a backend.








🎯 **Goal:** The intent is to create a programming language that balances simplicity and performance, focusing on functional programming paradigms and compile-time safety mechanisms. The language aims to facilitate explicit tracking of side effects and embrace a predictable coding environment. See the [principles](#principles) section for more information.



## Features



* Python-like, concise syntax (adhering to the [off-side rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-side_rule))

* Functional programming paradigm

* Strong, static type system

* First-class functions

* Pattern matching

* Powerful type inference, based on [Hindley-Milner type system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindley%E2%80%93Milner_type_system)

* [Parametric polymorphism via generics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parametric_polymorphism)

* [Structural typing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_type_system)

* [Closures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closure_(computer_programming))



## Principles



* ✨ **Simplicity**: The language should be easy to learn but powerful enough for complex tasks. A simple syntax helps lower the barrier to entry. 



* 📐 **Consistency & orthogonality**: Stick to one way of doing things. The language should use a few basic constructs that can be combined in many ways. This makes it easier to learn and use.



* 🔮 **Predictable, explicit, and deterministic semantics**: The type system should be straightforward and avoid surprises. No guessing games—you should always know what the code is doing.



* ❕ **Opinionated**: Make the language so there's a 'right way' to do things. This ensures everyone writes code that looks and works similarly, making it easier to understand and collaborate.



* 🙅🏻‍♂️ **No meta-programming or reflection**: Avoid features like meta-programming and reflection. They're often misused and make the language harder to learn and less consistent.



* ⚡ **Compile-time emphasis**: Do most heavy lifting, like error checking and memory management, when the code is compiled. This makes the executables faster and more reliable.



* ⛓️ **Functional paradigm**: Use functional programming to simplify code and reduce errors. It minimizes side effects and makes the code easier to reason about.



## Hello world example



Syntax highlighting of a code snippet showing an application that prints 'hello world' to the console



> The `foreign` keyword lets you include functions and variables from other programming languages. You can put multiple such items in a foreign block to keep your code neat.



> The `unsafe` keyword is used for actions that have potential risks, like calling foreign functions or using pointers. This is much like Rust's `unsafe` keyword and helps you be explicit about the risky parts of your code.



> `nat` is a type that stands for unsigned integers, which are 32-bit by default. You can also use variations like `nat8`, `nat16`, and `nat64` for different bit sizes.



> The compiler doesn't automatically coerce types, so you can use `0::nat` to specify a literal's type. This is handy when the type you want doesn't match the compiler's default 32-bit numeric type.



## Building and running



### Prerequisites



* [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install)

* [LLVM 15](https://llvm.org/docs/GettingStarted.html)



### Building



```bash

cargo build

```



### Running tests



```bash

cargo test

```






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