sex/Readme.org

* The Sex language
Sex is a S-expressions language, which transpiles to C.

Sex is also Chicken, since all source processing and compile-time
computations are written in Chicken.

And Chicken is [[https://call-cc.org][R5RS Scheme]].

* Compilation and usage
First, get yourself a Chicken. Second, some Chicken deps.

** Install Chicken Eggs
By the way, there's a way to make Chicken install eggs non-globally. Refer to
the documentation for more info:
https://wiki.call-cc.org/man/5/Extension%20tools#changing-the-repository-location

~chicken-install fmt getopt-long brev-separate~

** Compilation
~make~

** Usage
You'll also need a C compiler, so pick any.
#+begin_src
cat hello-world.sex | sexc > hello_world.c
cc hello_world.c -o hello_world
#+end_src

* Example
Here is an example, demonstrating what Sex source looks like, and what
it compiles too. An avid reader also shall notice how we call Chicken
procedures in Sex source.

The Sex source:
#+begin_src
(include stdio.h)

(define (foo)
  "Hello from Chicken code!\n")

(pub fn int main ((int argc) (char **argv))
    (puts "Hello from Sex!")
    (var (array char 512) name)
    (puts "What is your name?")
    (scanf "%s" &name)
    (printf "Hello, %s!\n" name)
    (printf ,(foo))
    0)
#+end_src

The resulting C source:
#+begin_src
#include <stdio.h>

int main (int argc, char **argv) {
    puts("Hello from Sex!");
    char name[512];
    puts("What is your name?");
    scanf("%s", &name);
    printf("Hello, %s!\n", name);
    printf("Hello from Chicken code!\n");
    return 0;
}
#+end_src

* Features
** Full C interoperability
Just ~(include "Your/Favourite/Library.h")~ and use it as you would
have is C.

For hardcore fans of traditional Lisp naming convention,
Sex offers automatic unkebabification of all symbols, i.e. no more
ugly ~GL_ARRAY_BUFFER~ s in your code, they may be written in their
proper form: ~GL-ARRAY-BUFFER~.

** Auto typedef for structs
Probably harmless idk. Example:
#+begin_src
(struct foo
  ((float a)
   (int b)))
#+end_src
expands to
#+begin_src
typedef struct foo foo;

struct foo {
    float a;
    int b;
};
#+end_src

** Templating (and Chickening)
Sex has support for template substitutions. Any piece of code can be
templated. After declaring, templates should be instanced in order to
be used. To instance template, use ~,~-prefixed form in Sex
code. During instancing, template arguments in the body get
replaced with provided values by the following rules:
1. If the value is a symbol, all arguments in a body are replaced with
   the value, and also all /parts/ of any other symbol equal to the
   value also get replaced.
2. If the value is a form, all arguments in a body are replaced with it,
   but no symbolic substitution is performed.

In general, the form of a template declaration is like this:
#+begin_src
(template (name (substiture-args ...) other-args ...)
  body ...)
#+end_src

Exapmle:
#+begin_src
(template (list-T (T))
  (struct list-T
    ((T value)
     ((* list-T) next))))

(template (list-for-each (what-do type list-var elt-var))
  (var type elt-var (-> list-var value))
  (while (!= (-> list-var next) NULL)
    what-do
    (= list-var (-> list-var next))
    (= elt-var (-> list-var value))))

; ... somewhere later
,(list-T '(int))

(pub fn void print-list (const list-int *l)
     ,(list-for-each '((printf "%d " v) int l v))
     (printf "\n"))
#+end_src
Then will be expanded in the following code:
#+begin_src
(typedef struct list_int list_int)
(struct list_int ((int value) ((* list_int) next)))
(%fun void
      print_list
      (const list_int *l)
      (%var int v (-> l value))
      (while (!= (-> l next) NULL)
             (printf "%d " v)
             (= l (-> l next))
             (= v (-> l value)))
      (printf "\n"))
#+end_src

And then translated to:
#+begin_src
typedef struct list_int list_int;

struct list_int {
    int value;
    list_int *next;
};

void print_list (int const, int list_int, int *l) {
    int v = l->value;
    while (l->next != NULL) {
        printf("%d ", v);
        l = l->next;
        v = l->value;
    }
    printf("\n");
}
#+end_src

Also, as a bonus, not only a template can be used after ~,~ in Sex
source, but in fact any Chicken code you want to run during the
transpilation.

** Use an established environment for development
As Sex is S-expressions, you always have Emacs with paredit as your
best option.

** COMING SOON: Polymorhpism