jSpy - Javascript-like Speech Parser framework with Pythonic features.

This project provides an interpreter for the jSpy programming language.

This language is built aiming to join together some of the best features from JavaScript and Python. So at the same time it tries to follow The Zen of Python it also offers protypical inheritance, and function closures.

All features are carrefully designed as to simplify its usage, and to keep a clean and consistent syntax.

The jSpy language was created as a way to provide support to a new Speech Parser tool for natural language developed by Vinícius Garcia. This Parser is built into the language and can be accessed by using the reserved word matcher (See the examples section).

This project was created by Vinícius Garcia and relies heavily on Brandon Amos C++ Expression Parser library.

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Features.

• User defined functions support
• Support for list and map containers
• Support for prototypical inheritance
• Garbage Collection by Reference Counting (not good with cyclic references)
• Support for advanced matcher expressions for NLP.

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Minimal examples

Hello World:

make shell

JSpy 0.2a by Vinícius Garcia

print('hello world')
hello world

Function usage:

a = 0
function a_inc() { a = a+1; return a }

print(a_inc())
1
print(a_inc())
2

function my_print(a,b,c) { print(a,b,c); print(arglist) }

my_print(1, 'two', None, 'and', 'some', 'more')
1 two None
[ "and", "some", "more" ]

Data containers:

Map container:

a = map()

a.attr1 = 10
a.attr2 = 20

print(a)
{ "attr1": 10, "attr2": 20 }

print(a.attr1, a['attr2'], a['attr3'])
10 20 None

List container:

a = list()
a.push(1).push(2).push(3)

print(a)
[ 1, 2, 3 ]

print(a.len())
3

b = list('one', 2, "three")

print(b)
[ "one", 2, "three" ]

b_pop = b.pop()

print(b_pop)
"three"

print(b)
[ "one", 2 ]

// Pop the item at index 0:
b.pop(0)

print(b)
[ 2 ]

Loops:

for(n in range(5)) print(n)
0
1
2
3
4

for(n in range(10,4,-2)) print(n)
10
8
6

for(n in list(1,2,3)) print(n)
1
2
3

a = map()
a.a = 10
a.b = 20
a.c = 30

for(key in a) print(key)
a
b
c

// We also have while loops:
a = 3;
while(a > 0) { print(a); a = a-1; }
3
2
1

Object Inheritance:

The jSpy object Inheritance was made so it would allow protypical inheritance in a way it's not confusing and simillar enough to classical inheritance so it's easy to learn:

a = map()

a.name = 'A'

// Inheritance:
b = extend(a)

print(b)
{}

print(b.name)
A

b.name = 'B'

print(a.name, b.name)
A B

// Instantiation:
function b_init (attr) { this.attr = attr; }
b.__init__ = b_init;

// Make b the prototype of b1
// and execute __init__(10):
b1 = new(b, 10)

print(b1)
{ "attr": 10 }

print(b1.name)
B

Notes:

• There is not yet support for the super key-word.
• new and extend are functions and not key-words yet.

In future this should change so it looks prettier than it is now.

Talkin Matchers

A Talkin Matcher works like an extended Regular Expression. It was made to deal with Natural language texts and so it is quite more complex and inefficient than a normal RegExp.

The main features of this matcher are:

• It does detect all matches possible, even when they are ambiguous
• It can rely on other matchers to parse parts of its text
• It can rely on boolean expressions to deny a match if wanted
• It can associate a function with each expression for post-processing

Note that the function association allows recursive parsing of text.

It can then work as a very poweful irrestrict grammar.

Examples

Simplest matcher possible:

matcher M1 "pattern" { print('matched!') };

M1.exec('pattern')
matched!

M1.exec('patterns')
// Nothing happens

A matcher works like an RegExp, so some functionalities expected from a RegExp also work on Talkin expressions.

In future all RegExp commands should work, for now only some of them are supported.

matcher M2 "[Pp]att*ern" { print(text) }

M2.exec('patttttttttern')
patttttttttern

Complex examples

From now on the examples will be more complex.

They will not be fully explained here, but soon we should make a document explaining all the syntax of the Talkin Matchers.

Example with multiple expressions in the same matcher:

matcher open {
  "open the library" if(there_is_library) { return 'library' }
  "open the door" if(there_is_door) { return 'door' }
}

print( open.exec('open the door') )
[ 'door' ]

Capturing a section of the text:

matcher Object {
  "door"; "table"; "library"; "book";
}

matcher open {
  // Referencing the matcher `Object`:
  "open the (Object)obj;" { return obj }
}

print( open.exec('open the book') )
[ 'book' ]

Dealing with multiple interpretations:

matcher M1 {
  "test" { yield "value" }
  "test" { yield "other value" }
  "test" if ( a == None ) { yield "a is None" }
  "nomatch" { yield "no value" }
}

a = 10;

result = M1.exec(test)
print(result)
[ "value", "other value" ]
// (it return a list with all possible matched returned values)

A complex example showing the flexibility of the system:

matcher Object {
  "duck"; "bird";
}

matcher Verb {
  "see"; "saw"; "cut";
}

matcher Sentence {
  "I (Verb)v; a (Object)obj;" {
    if (v == "saw")
      if (context.objects.saw != None) {
        // Parse it recursively:
        return Sentence.exec("I cut the %s" % obj)[0]
      } else {
        m = Sentence.exec("I see the %s" % obj)[0]
        m.past_tense = True;
        return m;
      }
    } else {
      m = map()
      m.verb = v; m.obj = obj;
      return m;
    }
  }
}

result = Sentence.exec("I saw a duck")
context = map()
context.objects = map()

print(result)
[ { "verb": "see", "obj": "duck", "past_tense": True } ]