ShenRuby's K Lambda Spec (work in progress)

k_lambda_spec.txt

Atoms:
  a string
    is self-evaluating
  a symbol
    is self-evaluating
    may include any of the legal characters for symbol
    may begin with any legal character other than a digit
    may not begin with a digit
  numbers
    parses integers as integers
    parses floating point numbers as reals
    with leading sign characters
      recognizes negative numbers
      treats any odd number of minuses as negative
      treats any even number of minuses as positive
      ignores leading plusses
  true
    evaluates to boolean true rather than a symbol
  false
    evaluates to boolean false rather than a symbol

Primitives for Arithmetic
  +
    adds its arguments
    returns an integer when both arguments are integers
    returns a real when either argument is a real
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  -
    subtracts its second argument from its first
    returns an integer when both arguments are integers
    returns a real when either argument is a real
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  *
    multiplies its arguments
    returns an integer when both arguments are integers
    returns a real when either argument is a real
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  /
    divides its first argument by its second argument
    returns an integer when an integer evenly divides another integer
    returns a real when an integer does not evenly divide another integer
    returns a real when either argument is a real
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  >
    returns false if its first argument is less than its second argument
    returns false if its first argument is equal to its second argument
    returns true if its first argument is greater than its second argument
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  <
    returns true if its first argument is less than its second argument
    returns false if its first argument is equal to its second argument
    returns false if its first argument is greater than its second argument
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  >=
    returns false if its first argument is less than its second argument
    returns true if its first argument is equal to its second argument
    returns true if its first argument is greater than its second argument
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  <=
    returns true if its first argument is less than its second argument
    returns true if its first argument is equal to its second argument
    returns false if its first argument is greater than its second argument
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer or a real
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer or a real
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
  number?
    returns true when its argument is an integer
    returns true when its argument is a real
    returns false when its argument is of any other type

Primitives for assignment
  (set Name Value)
    associates Value with Name
    returns Value
    overwrites the previous value when called again with same Name
    raises an error if its first argument is not a symbol
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
  (value Name)
    returns the value associated with Name
    raises an error if Name has not previously been set
    raises an error if its first argument is not a symbol
    supports partial application of 0 arguments

Primitives for Boolean Operations
  if special form
    raises an error when given 0 arguments
    raises an error when given 1 argument
    raises an error when given 2 arguments
    evaluates its first argument
    when its first argument evaluates to true
      returns the normal form of its second argument
      does not evaluate its third argument
    when its first argument evaluates to false
      returns the normal form of its third argument
      does not evaluate its second argument
  and special form
    evaluates its first argument
    may be passed as an argument to a higher-order function
    when its first argument evaluates to true
      returns true if its second argument evaluates to true
      returns false if its second argument evaluates to false
    when its first argument evaluates to false
      returns false
      does not evaluate it second argument
    partial application
      supports partial application of 0 arguments
      supports partial application of 1 argument
      results in it no longer short-circuiting argument evaluation
  or special form
    evaluates its first argument
    may be passed as an argument to a higher-order function
    when its first argument evaluates to false
      returns true if its second argument evaluates to true
      returns false if its second argument evaluates to false
    when its first argument evaluates to true
      returns true
      does not evaluate it second argument
    partial application
      supports partial application of 0 arguments
      supports partial application of 1 argument
      results in it no longer short-circuiting argument evaluation

Primitives for Generic Functions
  (defun Name ArgList Expr)
    does not evaulate Expr
    returns Name
    binds Name to a function having ArgList as its formals and Expr as its body
    allows ArgList to be the empty list
    allows previously defined non-primitive functions to be redefined
    raises an error when attempting to redefine a primitive
    raises an error if its first argument is not a symbol
    raises an error if ArgList is not a list
    raises an error if ArgList contains non-symbols
    raises an error when given 0 arguments
    raises an error when given 1 argument
    raises an error when given 2 arguments
  (lambda X Expr)
    does not evaulate Expr
    returns a function
    raises an error if its first argument is not a symbol
    raises an error when given 0 arguments
    raises an error when given 1 argument
    the returned function, when applied
      evaluates Expr with X bound to its argument
  (freeze Expr)
    does not evaluate Expr
    returns a continuation
    the returned continuation, upon thawing
      evaluates and returns the value of Expr
      re-evaluates Expr with each thawing
    partial application
      supports partial application of 0 arguments
      results in it no longer delaying execution of Expr

Primitives for lists
  (cons Hd Tl)
    creates a list with Hd as the head and Tl as the tail
    allows Tl to be a non-list
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
  (hd L)
    returns the head of L
    raises an error if its first argument is not a list or a dotted pair
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
  (tl L)
    returns the tail of L
    raises an error if its first argument is not a list or a dotted pair
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
  cons?
    returns true when its argument is a list
    returns true when its argument is a dotted pair
    returns false when its argument is of any other type

Primitives for strings
  (pos S N)
    returns the character at zero-based index N of S as a unit string
    raises an error if N is negative
    raises an error if N is >= the length of S
    raises an error if its first argument is not a string
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
  (tlstr S)
    returns a string containing all but the first character of S
    raises an error when S is the empty string
    raises an error if its first argument is not a string
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
  string?
    returns true when its argument is a string
    returns false when its argument is of any other type
  (n->string N)
    returns a unit string containing the character with ASCII code N
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
  (string->n S)
    returns the ASCII code of the unit string S
    returns the ASCII code of the first character of non-unit string S
    raises an error when S is the empty string
    raises an error if its first argument is not a string
    supports partial application of 0 arguments

Primitives for symbols
  intern
    converts a string to its corresponding symbol
    supports characters not allowed in symbol literals
    converts the string "true" to boolean true
    converts the string "false" to boolean false
    raises an error if its first argument is not a string
    supports partial application of 0 arguments

Primitive functions for vectors
  (absvector N)
    returns a new absolute vector of size N
    raises an error if its first argument is not an integer
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
  (address-> V N Value)
    returns the vector V updated with Value at index N
    raises an error if N is negative
    raises an error if N is >= the size of the vector
    raises an error if its first argument is not a vector
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
    supports partial application of 2 arguments
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
  (<-address V N)
    returns the value previously stored at index N in V
    returns an unspecified value if index N has not been stored to
    raises an error if N is negative
    raises an error if N is >= the size of the vector
    raises an error if its first argument is not a vector
    raises an error if its second argument is not an integer
    supports partial application of 0 arguments
    supports partial application of 1 argument
    supports partial application of 2 arguments
    evaluates its arguments from left to right
  absvector?
    returns true when its argument is a vector
    returns false when its argument is of any other type

Tail recursion
  does not consume stack space for self tail calls
  does not consume stack space for mutually recursive tail calls

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