sloppatron/languages/custom/bingbong/README.md

BingBong 2.0

BingBong is a minimalist, esoteric programming language designed to be as simple and difficult to use as possible. This new version of BingBong is a binary representation of Python code.

Language Elements

The BingBong language consists of only two commands:

• . (dot): Represents a 0 in the binary representation of the code.
• , (comma): Represents a 1 in the binary representation of the code.

Execution Model

The interpreter reads the BingBong source code, converts the . and , characters to a binary string, decodes the binary string into a UTF-8 string, and then executes the resulting string as Python code.

Warning: The interpreter uses exec() to run the decoded Python code. This is a powerful but potentially dangerous function. Only run BingBong code from sources you trust.

Interpreter

The language is interpreted by the bingbong_interpreter.py script.

Usage

To run a BingBong program, execute the interpreter from your command line and pass the path to your source file as an argument:

python bingbong_interpreter.py your_program.bb

Converter

A helper script, py_to_bingbong.py, is provided to convert standard Python code into the BingBong format.

Usage

To convert a Python file (.py) to a BingBong file (.bb), run the following command:

python py_to_bingbong.py your_python_script.py

This will create a new file with the same name but with the .bb extension.

Example Workflow

1. Create a Python file named hello.py with the following content:

   print("Hello, BingBong 2.0!")
   

2. Convert it to a BingBong file:

   python py_to_bingbong.py hello.py
   

3. This will generate a hello.bb file with a long sequence of . and , characters.

4. Run the BingBong file:

   python bingbong_interpreter.py hello.bb
   

5. The output will be:

   --- Executing Decoded Python Code ---
   Hello, BingBong 2.0!
   --- Execution Finished ---
   

Philosophy

The design philosophy of BingBong is to explore the limits of simplicity in programming language design, while intentionally creating a cumbersome and difficult-to-master tool. It serves as a thought experiment and a challenge for programmers who enjoy working with esoteric languages.