femcode/DEVELOPMENT_LOG.md

Femcode Development Log

This log details the features implemented and significant changes made to the Femcode programming language.

Implemented Features & Changes

1. Core Language Setup

• Description: Established the foundational lexical analysis, parsing, and interpretation framework for Femcode.
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py

2. Dictionaries and Property Access

• Description: Added support for creating dictionary (object) data structures and accessing their properties using dot notation.
• Keywords/Syntax: {} (dictionary literal), . (property access)
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/dictionaries.fem

3. Input/Output (ask built-in function)

• Description: Introduced a built-in function ask to prompt the user for input, enhancing interactivity.
• Keywords/Syntax: ask(prompt_string)
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/io.fem

4. Built-in Functions (len, type)

• Description: Added utility built-in functions len for getting the length of strings/lists and type for determining the type of a value.
• Keywords/Syntax: len(value), type(value)
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/built_ins.fem

5. femterpreter Wrapper Script

• Description: Created a standalone executable wrapper script to run Femcode programs directly from the command line, simplifying execution and removing the need to specify python3 main.py.
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/femterpreter (new file)
  • femcode/src/main.py

6. Enhanced Data Types

Floating-Point Numbers

• Description: Extended numerical support to include decimal values, allowing for more precise calculations.
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py

Null/None Type

• Description: Introduced a specific keyword to represent the absence of a value.
• Keywords/Syntax: Ghosted
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py

7. Advanced Control Flow

for Loops

• Description: Implemented iteration over sequences (lists and strings), enabling more flexible looping constructs.
• Keywords/Syntax: Tomgirl (for loop keyword)
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/loops_advanced.fem

break and continue Statements

• Description: Added statements to provide more granular control over loop execution, allowing early exit or skipping iterations.
• Keywords/Syntax: Break, Continue
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/loops_advanced.fem

8. Error Handling (try-except)

• Description: Implemented basic error handling mechanisms to gracefully manage runtime errors and prevent program crashes.
• Keywords/Syntax: Twink (try block), Bimboy (except block)
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/error_handling.fem

9. Syntactic Sugar

Compound Assignment Operators

• Description: Added shorthand operators for common arithmetic assignments, improving code conciseness.
• Keywords/Syntax: +=, -=, *=, /=
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/syntactic_sugar.fem

Increment/Decrement Operators

• Description: Introduced operators for easily increasing or decreasing numerical variables by one.
• Keywords/Syntax: ++, --
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/src/lexer.py
  • femcode/src/parser.py
  • femcode/src/interpreter.py
  • femcode/examples/syntactic_sugar.fem

10. Documentation Updates

• Description: Continuously updated the README.md documentation to accurately reflect all new features, syntax, and usage instructions, including the femterpreter script.
• Files Modified:
  • femcode/docs/README.md