Zap Programming Language Compiler

Overview

The Zap programming language is a general-purpose systems language optimized for game development. This repository contains the source code for the Zap compiler, capable of parsing, analyzing, and generating code for the Zap programming language. The compiler generates C code as an intermediate representation, with plans to extend to other targets in the future.

Features

Language Features

• Automatic Memory Management: Zap uses mutable value semantics and reference counting for efficient memory management.
• Allocator Control: Provides fine-grained control over memory allocation via:
  • Allocator parameters in type definitions.
  • Scoped allocator context system.
  • Direct allocator specification for individual allocations.
• Syntax: Utilizes significant whitespace and allows parentheses omission for streamlined function calls, e.g., print "Hello, World!".
• Data Types:
  • Numeric types (Int32, Int64, Float32, Float64).
  • Vectors (Vec2, Vec3, Vec4).
  • Strings, Booleans, Structs, and Arrays.
• Control Structures: Includes if-else, blocks, and loops with scoped variable control.

Compiler Features

• Compilation Stages:
  1. Lexical Analysis.
  2. Parsing and AST generation.
  3. Semantic Analysis for type checking and validation.
  4. Intermediate Representation (IR) generation.
  5. C code generation.
• Optimization: Supports customizable optimization levels.
• Error Handling: Clear reporting for lexical, syntax, semantic, and generation errors.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Haskell GHC for building the compiler.
• C compiler (e.g., GCC or Clang) for executing generated code.

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository_url>
   cd zap-compiler

2. Build the project:

   stack build

3. Run the tests:

   stack test

Usage

Compiling a Program

To compile a Zap source file:

stack run zap-compiler -- input.zap output.c

The output will be a C file named output.c.

Running the Generated Code

Use a C compiler to compile and run the generated file:

gcc output.c -o program
./program

Tests

Test Directory Structure

Tests for the Zap language and compiler are located in the tests/Zap folder. These include:

• Syntax Tests: Validate correct parsing of language constructs.
• Semantic Tests: Verify type checking and semantic rules.
• Code Generation Tests: Ensure proper translation to C code.

Running Tests

To execute the test suite:

stack test

Example Programs

Hello World

print "Hello, World!"

Hello, World!

Binary Operations

print 1 + 1
print 2 * 2
print 4 / 2

2
4
2

Vector Operations

let vec1 = Vec3(1.0, 2.0, 3.0)
let vec2 = Vec3 4.0, 5.0, 6.0
print (vec1 + vec2)

(5.000000, 7.000000, 9.000000)

Struct Definitions

type
  Point = struct
    x: f32
    y: f32

let origin = Point 5.0, 2.5
print origin.x

5.000000

While Loops

var n = 0
while n < 3:
  print n
  n += 1

0
1
2

Functions With Implicit Result

fn add(x, y: i32): i32 =
  x + y

print add(1, 2)

3

Functions With Local Variables

fn sumSquares(x, y: i32): i32 =
  var sum = x * x
  sum = sum + y * y
  sum

print sumSquares(2, 2)

8

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
3. Commit your changes and open a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.