Spruce v1.0

A great low-level programming language designed to be both easy to program and easy to compile.

Spruce combines high-level object-orientation with efficient low-level imperative programming.

What makes it so great?

It eliminates some of the biggest pitfalls of C/C++:

• Runtime array-index checking: In Spruce, arrays are objects, and the element-access function throws a runtime exception when given an invalid array index.
• The Spruce equivalent of if(x = 0) gives a compilation error.

Examples

"Hello, World!" Program in Spruce:

$uses Stdio
<-- This is a comment -->
output "Hello,\sWorld!";

Note the usage of \s- Spruce v1.0 does not allow direct spaces in strings. \s is used instead. Also, Spruce insists on spaces BETWEEN EVERYTHING. Like Forth. somevar = 6 is allowed; somevar=6 is not.

Variables and Functions

$uses Stdio
int myInt = 5;
char myChar = 'B';
memloc myMemLoc = address myInt;
( 4 @ memloc ) = 6;
function myFunc a:int b:int returns int does
	output "myFunc";
	return ( a + b );
end
int a = myFunc 2 3;

Function syntax: function [name] ([param]:[type]) ([param2]:[type2] ...) returns [type] does ... end

To call functions: [function-name] parameters;

YOU DO NOT NEED PARENTHESES FOR FUNCTION CALLS! That's one of the most beautiful things about Spruce.

Operator syntax:

• 2-parameter: ( [var1] [operator] [var2] )
• 1-parameter: ( [operator [var1] )

Classes

class Complex contains
  public int real;
	public int imag;
	private String secret getter setter;
	private String biggerSecret getter;
end
class SubClass inherits Complex contains
	def myFunction something:int returns Complex does
		return new Complex { 3 something };
	end
end
Complex c = new Complex { 2 3 };
if ( c is Complex ) then
	<-- ... -->
end
SubClass s = ( c as SubClass );
s -> myFunction 3;
<-- Not dots- arrowheads! -->

Basic class syntax:

class [name] contains ... end

public [var-type] [var-name];

private [var-type] [var-name] (getter?) (setter?)

[class-name] [var-name] = new [class-name] { [class-vars] };

if ( [var-name] is [class-name] ) then ... end

By the way, output "text" is just syntax sugar for this:

String anonymous = new String { ( @ firstCharOfString ) };
anonymous -> print;

Preprocessor Instructions and Macros

$uses Stdio
$let A be 3
$exists? A
<-- ... -->
$else
<-- ... -->
$end
$delete A

Preprocessor Directive Summary:

$uses [file]- imports that file. Like #include in C/C++. $let [var] be [value]- defines [var] to be [value]. Like #define in C/C++. $exists? [var]- like #ifdef in C/C++. $else and $end- self-explanatory. delete [var]- deletes [var]. Like #undef in C/C++.