implish notes (from old leo file)

language

goals

bootstrap in js
real thing runs on tiny multi-core virtual machine
high level language, with garbage collection
sort of a blend of python, nial, smalltalk, k
asynchronous
generators

narrative, iterative style

data types

scalar:
- bit
- symbol
- integers of various sizes
- character
vector
- algebraic types
- function
- dictionary
- generator
- object/instance
- interface

control flow

pattern matching
method dispatch
everything async
comprehensions?
do notation?

interpreter

imperative first

state [as variable bindings in a namespace]
sequence
condition
repetition [loop]

k-like meta-syntax

: for declaration/assignment
; for sequence (plus parens and right to left evaluation)
?[ ] for if/elif
![ ] for while
.[ ] for application
@[ ] for application
{} , {[names] } for lambda

generic linter/refactoring tool (??)

linter

linter tool
- provide a list of names referenced and used in the scope
- better yet, list of names at a cursor position, or used in a selected region.
- note names that are used but not declared

refactoring

parse and map onto the sequence operator
really only need to be able to track:
- initial definitions/declarations
- sequence
- mutation
- input/output
- condition
- reference

refactoring tool
- expressions should have some kind of side effect unless they’re inspected or returned
- assume that freestanding f[x] is a function call with side effects (and not useless array indexing)
  - therefore f itself must be a function and probably defined elsewhere

extract function

so: to extract a function,

highlight the phrase
it should be a valid token tree (forest?)
determine which local names need to be used as parameters
determine which names are modified (outputs)
- does language allow multiple return values? multiple assignment? pass by reference?
- or bundle various locals into a struct?

to find other code that uses the same pattern:

treat the code as a unification template
scan for matches