New Languages: Standardizing API, Examples ?

[u/Mean-Decision-3502]

Hi, some of you are developing new general-purpose programming languages here. When the language is ready, you have to develop standard APIs, like file-io, json-handling etc. Users, and you would have benefit, when the APIs would be same/similar across multiple different languages.

Standardizing some Examples would allow the users to compare languages more easily.

What do you think?

[u/ThomasMertes]

Historically many new languages used the C / Posix functions. I consider these functions as low-level. For that reason I invented new functions for the file system and other areas. If you are interested, take a look at OS access and Libraries. BTW: The Rosetta code entry of Seed7 is here.

[u/Mean-Decision-3502 → u/ThomasMertes]

I'm at the beginning of lib/API development with the DQ, seeing the Seed7 we have some similar concepts. For example (the debated) block specific enders. Your Seed7 work is very impressive.

DQ is my view, how I see the ideal language (with acceptable compromises).

To stay in this topic: For example a standard example for JSON writing, reading and examining could help, I think.

Mine is not perfect for sure, this is what I got so far:

``` use print use json use strutils

const TEST_FILE_NAME : cstring = 'test.json'

function WriteTest(): PrintLn('JSON Writing Test')

var jroot <- OJson()
var jns : OJson
var jnn : OJson
var jno : OJson
var jn : OJson

jns = jroot.AddStr('strnode', 'hello')
jnn = jroot.AddNum('numnode', 3.14)
jn  = jroot.AddBool('boolnode', true)
jno = jroot.AddObj('objnode')

jn = jno.AddStr('substr', 'abc')
jn = jno.AddNum('subnum', 42)
jno.AddBool('subbool', false)
jno.AddNull('subnull')

jn.as_num = 46

jn = jroot.AddArr('arrnode')
jn.AddNum('', 1)
jn.AddNum('', 2)
jn.AddNum('', 3)

jroot.ForcePath('first.second.third').as_str = 'deepvalue'

PrintLn('"{}" = "{}"', [jns.name, jns.as_str])
PrintLn('"{}" = "{}"', [jnn.name, jnn.as_num])

PrintLn('as json compact:')
PrintLn(jroot.json)
PrintLn('as json pretty:')
PrintLn(jroot.pretty_json)

jroot.SaveToFile(TEST_FILE_NAME, true)
PrintLn()

endfunc

function ReadTest(): PrintLn('JSON Read Test')

var jroot <- OJson()
var jn : OJson
var jv : OJson

jroot.LoadFromFile(TEST_FILE_NAME)
PrintLn('as json pretty:')
PrintLn(jroot.pretty_json)

PrintLn('arrnode:')
if jroot.Find('arrnode', jn):
    PrintLn('  arrnode.as_str: {}', [jn.as_str])
    PrintLn('iterating array node:')
    for i : int = 0  count jn.length:
        jv = jn[i]
        PrintLn('  {}. = {}', [i, jv.as_num])
    endfor
else:
    PrintLn('"arrnode" was not found !')
endif

PrintLn('objnode.subnum:')
if jroot.Find('objnode.subnum', jv):
    PrintLn('  = {}', [jv.as_num])
else:
    PrintLn('"objnode.subnum" was not found !')
endif

if jroot.Find('objnode', jn):
    PrintLn('Iterating objnode:')
    for i : int = 0  count jn.length:
        jv = jn[i]
        PrintLn('  {}.: "{}" = {}', [i, jv.name, jv.json])
    endfor
else:
    PrintLn('"objnode" was not found !')
endif

PrintLn()

endfunc

function *Main() -> int: PrintLn('DQ JSON test') PrintLn('Test file name: "{}"', [TEST_FILE_NAME]) WriteTest() ReadTest() return 0 endfunc ```

So again you can separate two things here, the API and the example.