Random notes on POOL (a new programming language)...

notes_on_pool.md

#VM notes

• parallelize the variable lookup
  • e.g. one thread for the backward module chain one for the forward and one for the class chain
• cache the variable already looked up
  • probably with a hashtable and a global no_attribute_added flag

#Syntax notes

• force spaces (when it's neccessary)
• trim the syntax spec and extend it later - to make you're that the grammar can be written at one or two weekends

#Webpage notes

• first thing to do after finishing a running draft of the parser and the vm ist to build a website
• create an http://tryruby.org like interface with www.masswerk.at/termlib/
• create pool highlighter support for SciTE and a web syntax highlighter (e.g. http://prismjs.com/)

#Plans for the future The aim is now to get something running, that means that I'm going to focus on a subset of the syntax and the features and create a first draft (or base language). Otherwise the probability is high, that I'm going to abandon this project. I focus during the next month on the implementation and creation of the following:

• simplified grammar and parser via ANTLR 3
• bytecode compiler (using a bytecode based on JSON: although it's very verbose, I use it because it's easy to implement)
• VM without any performance optimizations or advanced features of the language (like some OO features)
• highlighter support for some editors and webpage highlighters (see above)
• webpage (see above), with a simple tutorial After I've finished with all this, it's probably 2014...