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@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ fn fib (n: int) -> int {
write_line(fib(25)) write_line(fib(25))
``` ```
## 🌣 Highlights ## Highlights
- Easy to read and write - Easy to read and write
- Single-pass, self-optimizing compiler - Single-pass, self-optimizing compiler
@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ write_line(fib(25))
- Beautiful, helpful error messages from the compiler - Beautiful, helpful error messages from the compiler
- Safe execution, runtime errors are treated as bugs - Safe execution, runtime errors are treated as bugs
## 🛈 Overview ## Overview
Dust's syntax, safety features and evaluation model are based on Rust. Its instruction set Dust's syntax, safety features and evaluation model are based on Rust. Its instruction set
and optimization strategies are based on Lua. Unlike Rust and other languages that compile to and optimization strategies are based on Lua. Unlike Rust and other languages that compile to
@ -77,11 +77,11 @@ aspirations are to be **fast**, **safe** and **easy**.
### Author ### Author
I'm Jeff and I started this project to learn more about programming languages by implementing a I'm Jeff 🦀 and I started this project as simple expession evaluator. Initially, the project used an
simple expession evaluator. Initially, the project used an external parser and a tree-walking external parser and a tree-walking interpreter. After several books, a few papers, countless
interpreter. After several books, papers and a lot of experimentation, Dust has evolved to an articles and a lot of experimentation, Dust has evolved to an ambitious project that aims to
ambitious project that aims to implement lucrative features with a high-quality implementation that implement lucrative features with a high-quality implementation that competes with established
competes with established languages. languages.
## Usage ## Usage
@ -94,36 +94,51 @@ the only way to use Dust is to clone the repository and build it from source.
## Inspiration ## Inspiration
[Crafting Interpreters] by Bob Nystrom was a great resource for writing the compiler, especially the *Crafting Interpreters*[^0] by Bob Nystrom was a great resource for writing the compiler, especially
Pratt parser. The book is a great introduction to writing interpreters. Had it been discovered the Pratt parser. The book is a great introduction to writing interpreters. Had it been discovered
sooner, some early implementations of Dust would have been both simpler in design and more ambitious sooner, some early implementations of Dust would have been both simpler in design and more ambitious
in scope. in scope.
[The Implementation of Lua 5.0] by Roberto Ierusalimschy, Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo, and Waldemar *The Implementation of Lua 5.0*[^1] by Roberto Ierusalimschy, Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo, and
Celes was a great resource for understanding register-based virtual machines and their instructions. Waldemar Celes was a great resource for understanding register-based virtual machines and their
This paper was recommended by Bob Nystrom in [Crafting Interpreters]. instructions. This paper was recommended by Bob Nystrom in [Crafting Interpreters].
[A No-Frills Introduction to Lua 5.1 VM Instructions] by Kein-Hong Man has a wealth of detailed *A No-Frills Introduction to Lua 5.1 VM Instructions*[^2] by Kein-Hong Man has a wealth of detailed
information on how Lua uses terse instructions to create dense chunks that execute quickly. This was information on how Lua uses terse instructions to create dense chunks that execute quickly. This was
essential in the design of Dust's instructions. Dust uses compile-time optimizations that are based essential in the design of Dust's instructions. Dust uses compile-time optimizations that are based
on Lua optimizations covered in this paper. on Lua optimizations covered in this paper.
[A Performance Survey on Stack-based and Register-based Virtual Machines] by Ruijie Fang and Siqi "A Performance Survey on Stack-based and Register-based Virtual Machines"[^3] by Ruijie Fang and Siqi
Liup was helpful for a quick yet efficient primer on getting stack-based and register-based virtual Liup was helpful for a quick yet efficient primer on getting stack-based and register-based virtual
machines up and running. The included code examples show how to implement both types of VMs in C. machines up and running. The included code examples show how to implement both types of VMs in C.
The performance comparison between the two types of VMs is worth reading for anyone who is trying to The performance comparison between the two types of VMs is worth reading for anyone who is trying to
choose between the two. Some of the benchmarks described in the paper inspired similar benchmarks choose between the two. Some of the benchmarks described in the paper inspired similar benchmarks
used in this project to compare Dust to other languages. used in this project to compare Dust to other languages and inform design decisions.
*Writing a Compiler in Go*[^6] by Thorsten Ball is a lot like [Crafting Interpreters][], they are the
where I look for a generalized approach to solving a problem. Filled with code examples, this book
helps the reader make the turn from evaluating a syntax tree to thinking about how problems are
solved on physical hardware and how that informs the design of a virtual machine.
> Let me get straight to the point: a virtual machine is a computer built with software.
> -- Thorsten Ball, *Writing a Compiler in Go*
*Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, Second Edition*[^7] by Harold Abelson and Gerald
Jay Sussman with Julie Sussman is a classic text on computer science. It encourages an abstract
view of programming, sometimes using diagrams to explain programs as though they were physical
devices. It requires more effort than the books that immediately show you how to write a program,
but the takeaway is a deep understanding of the the process a computer (or a VM) goes through to
execute a program.
## License ## License
Dust is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See the `LICENSE` file for details. Dust is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See the `LICENSE` file for details.
## References [^0]: [Crafting Interpreters](https://craftinginterpreters.com/)
[^1]: [The Implementation of Lua 5.0](https://www.lua.org/doc/jucs05.pdf)
[^1]: [Crafting Interpreters](https://craftinginterpreters.com/) [^2]: [A No-Frills Introduction to Lua 5.1 VM Instructions](https://www.mcours.net/cours/pdf/hasclic3/hasssclic818.pdf)
[^2]: [The Implementation of Lua 5.0](https://www.lua.org/doc/jucs05.pdf) [^3]: [A Performance Survey on Stack-based and Register-based Virtual Machines](https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.00467)
[^3]: [A No-Frills Introduction to Lua 5.1 VM Instructions](https://www.mcours.net/cours/pdf/hasclic3/hasssclic818.pdf) [^4]: [List of C-family programming languages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C-family_programming_languages)
[^4]: [A Performance Survey on Stack-based and Register-based Virtual Machines](https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.00467) [^5]: [ripgrep is faster than {grep, ag, git grep, ucg, pt, sift}](https://blog.burntsushi.net/ripgrep/#mechanics)
[^5]: [List of C-family programming languages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C-family_programming_languages) [^6]: [Writing a Compiler in Go](https://compilerbook.com/)
[^6]: [ripgrep is faster than {grep, ag, git grep, ucg, pt, sift}](https://blog.burntsushi.net/ripgrep/#mechanics) [^7]: [Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, Second Edition](https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262510875/structure-and-interpretation-of-computer-programs/)