Scatha compiler

Procedural pet language project with an optimizing byte code compiler for a virtual machine. The language is compiled and strongly and statically typed. Made for easy integration as an embedded scripting language into other applications.

Read the language reference for details.

Anouncement

The project compiles and runs well with MSVC under Windows and Clang under MacOS

Examples

Simple program to calculate the GCD of two numbers using the euclidean algorithm.

fn main() -> int {
    return gcd(27, 9);
}

fn gcd(a: int, b: int) -> int {
    if b == 0 {
        return a;        
    }
    return gcd(b, a % b);
}

Take a look at some more sophisticated examples.

Feature roadmap

Constructors and destructors

• Almost done, need to handle assignment somehow though

Dynamic memory allocation in the language.

• Right now only possible with __builtin_alloc()/__builtin_dealloc() functions which directly call malloc and free

Built in string formatting

Some library functions

Generics?

---

Language

• Arithemtic types with explicitly specified width

  • Signed and unsigned integral types: ✅ s8, s16, s32, s64 u8, u16, u32, u64

  • Floating point types: ✅ f32, f64

  • Arithmetic vector types?

• int defaults to s64 ✅

• float defaults to f32 ✅

• double defaults to f64 ✅

• Explicit (and maybe some implicit) casts

  • Explicit casts:
    • Integral to floating point and vice versa. ✅
    • Narrowing integral and floating point conversion. ✅
  • Implicit casts:
    • Widening integral and floating point casts. ✅

• Find a good solution for implementing references/pointers in the language that is powerful but not harmful ✅

• Member functions (also depend on references in a way) ✅

  • Uniform function call syntax ✅
  • Constructors/destructors

• unique/shared pointers and expression, similar to std::unique_ptr<>/std::make_unique<> res. std::shared_ptr<>/std::make_shared<> for simple dynamic memory allocation. This depends on having well defined object lifetimes (constructors/destructors).

  • Syntax shall look something like this:

    {
        let i = mut unique int(1);
    } // i is deallocatd here
    {
        let j: *mut unique int = null;
        {
            let i = mut unique int(1);
            j = move i; // Now i == null
        }
    } // j is deallocatd here
    

• Dynamic dispatch

  • Interfaces/Protocols
  • Multiple dispatch

• Generics

• Standard library

  • String, Array(T) / Vector(T), List(T), Dict(K, V) etc. classes/generics

Optimizer

• Textual IR representation / IR parser. ✅
• Passes
  • Register promotion (SSA construction) ✅
  • Constant folding ✅
  • Dead code elimination ✅
  • Tail recursion elimination ✅
  • Inlining ✅
  • and more... ✅

Compiler

• Better issue formatting ✅
• Parallel compilation
• Runtime integration mechanisms ✅