learnxinyminutes-docs/niva.md

name	filename	contributors
niva	learnniva.niva	gavr https://github.com/gavr123456789

Intro

Niva is a simple language that takes a lot of inspiration from Smalltalk. But leaning towards the functional side. Everything is still an object, but instead of classes, interfaces, and abstract classes, we have tagged unions, which is the only way to achieve polymorphism.

So basically niva is types, unions, and methods for them. There are no functions.

On an imaginary graph of complexity, I would put it here: Go < Niva < Java < Kotlin < Scala

Links:

• Site
• GitHub
• LSP
• VSC plugin

The Basics

Variable

Variables are immutable by default. There is no keyword for declaring a variable.

// this is a comment
int = 1 
str = "qwf"
boolean = true 
char = 'a'
float = 3.14f
double = 3.14
mutltiLineStr = """
qwf ars zxc \n \t "qwf"
"""
explicit_type::Int = 5

mut x = 5
x <- 6 // mutate

Messages

// hello world is one liner
"Hello world" echo // echo is a message for String obj


// There are 3 types of messages
1 inc // 2         unary 
1 + 2 // 3         binary
"abc" at: 0 // 'a' keyword


// they can be chained
1 inc inc inc dec // 3
1 + 1 + 2 - 3 // 1
1 to: 3 do: [it echo] // 1 2 3
// the last one here to:do: is a single message
// to chain 2 keyword message you need comma `,`
"123456" drop: 1, dropLast: 2 // "234" 

// or mixed
1 inc + 3 dec - "abc" count // 2 + 2 - 3 -> 1
"123" + "456" drop: 1 + 1   // "123456" drop: 2 -> "3456"

// everything except type and msg declarations are message sends in niva
// for example `if` is a message for Boolean object that takes lambda
1 > 2 ifTrue: ["wow" echo]
// expression
base = 1 > 2 ifTrue: ["heh"] ifFalse: ["qwf"]
// same for while
mut q = 0
[q > 10] whileTrue: [q <- q inc]
// all of this is zero cost because of inlining at compile time

Type

New lines are not significant in niva
Type declaration looks like keyword message for type

type Square side: Int

type Person
  name: String
  age: Int

Create instance

Object creation is just a keyword message with all fields

square = Square side: 42
alice = Person name: "Alice" age: 24

// destruct fields by names
{age name} = alice

Access fields

Getting fields is the same as sending a unary message with its name to the object

// get age, add 1 and print it
alice age inc echo // 25

Method for type:

Everything is an object, just like in Smalltalk, so everything can have a method declared.
Here, we add a double method to Int and then use it inside the perimeter method of Square.

Int double = this + this
Square perimeter = side double

square = Square side: 42
square perimeter // call

Messages with many args

type Range from: Int to: Int
Int to::Int = Range from: this to: to

1 to: 2 // Range

Type constructor

Its like a message for type itself instead of instance

constructor Float pi = 3.14
x = Float pi // 3.14

It can be useful for initializing fields with default values.

type Point x: Int y: Int
constructor Point atStart = Point x: 0 y: 0

p1 = Point x: 0 y: 0
p2 = Point atStart
// constructor is just a usual message, so it can have params
constructor Point y::Int = Point x: 0 y: y
p3 = Point y: 20 // x: 0 y: 20

Conditions

=> is syntax sugar for ifTrue message, since conditions is pretty common

// syntax sugar
1 < 2 => "yay" echo
// everything is message send(this is free because of lambda-inlining)
1 < 2 ifTrue: ["yay" echo]

// with else branch
1 > 2 => "yay" echo |=> "oh no" echo

1 > 2 ifTrue: ["yay" echo] ifFalse: ["oh no" echo]

Cycles

There is no special syntax for cycles, its just keyword messages that takes codeblocs as parameters.
(its zero cost thanks for inlining)

{1 2 3} forEach: [ it echo ]
1..10 forEach: [ it echo ]

mut c = 10
[c > 0] whileTrue: [ c <- c dec ]

whileTrue is a message for codeblock of type: [ -> Boolean] whileTrue::[ -> Unit]

Matching

there is special syntax for matching, since niva heavily utilize tagged unions

x = "Alice"
// matching on x
| x
| "Bob" => "Hi Bob!"
| "Alice" => "Hi Alice!"
|=> "Hi guest"


// It can be used as expression as well
y = | "b"
    | "a" => 1
    | "b" => 2
    |=> 0
y echo // 2

Unions

union Shape =
  | Rectangle width: Int height: Int
  | Circle    radius: Int
    
constructor Float pi = 3.14

// match on this(Shape)
Shape getArea -> Float = | this 
  | Rectangle => width * height |> toFloat
  | Circle => Float pi * radius * radius
    
// its exhaustive, so when u add new branch 
// all the matches will become errors until all cases processed

Collections

// commas are optional
list = {1 2 3}
map = #{'a' 1 'b' 2}
map2 = #{'a' 1, 'b' 2, 'c' 3}
set = #(1 2 3)

Nullability

x::Int? = null
q = x unpackOrPANIC
// do something if its not null
x unpack: [it echo]
// same but expression with backup value
w = x unpack: [it inc] or: -1
// just unpack or backup value
e = x unpackOrValue: -1

Handling the error

// exit the program with stack trace
x = file read orPANIC
x = file read orValue: "no file"

Errors works like effects, look for more in Error handling

Misc

Local arg names

Int from: x::Int to: y::Int = this + x + y

Syntax sugar for this

Person foo = [
    .bar
    this bar // same thing
]

Compile time reflection

You can get string representation of any argument from call site.

Foo bar::Int baz::String = [
    // getting string representation from call side
    a = Compiler getName: 0
    b = Compiler getName: 1
    c = Compiler getName: 2
    a echo
    b echo
    c echo
]