- Rye language 🌾
visit ryelang.org, our blog or join our reddit group for latest examples and development updates
Rye is a high level, dynamic programming language based on ideas from Rebol, flavored by Factor, Linux shells and Golang. It's still an experiment in language design, but it should slowly become more and more useful in real world.
It features a Golang based interpreter and console and could also be seen as (modest) Go's scripting companion as Go's libraries are quite easy to integrate, and Rye can be embedded into Go programs as a scripting or config language.
I believe that as language becomes higher level it starts touching the user interface boundary, besides being a language we have great emphasis on interactive use (Rye shell) where we will explore that.
Core ideas of the language are formed. Most experimenting, at least at this stage, is done. Right now, focus is on making the core and runtime useful for anyone who might decide to try it.
This means we are improving the Rye console, documentation and improving the runtime and core functions.
Rye is homoiconic, it has no keywords or special forms (everything is a function call, everything is a value), everything returns something (is an expression), has more syntax types than your usual language, functions are first class citizens, so are blocks of code and scopes (contexts). It has multiple dialects (specific interpreters).
Although it seems contrary to each other Rye tries to be very flexible but also safer where possible. For example, it doesn't even have a syntax for changing state directly outside current context (parent or sub). It separates between pure and impure functions, while most of builtins are pure. Validation dialect is part of its core, so input validation is easy and distinguishable/explicit, not sprinkled around other code. Few functions that change state in place end with "!" (and usually don't need to be used). Functions never return null, they return result or a specific failure (which is a Rye value too, and you can handle on-specific-spot).
print "Hello World"
"Hello World" .replace "World" "Mars" |print
; prints: Hello Mars
"12 8 12 16 8 6" .load .unique .sum
; returns: 42
{ "Anne" "Joan" "Adam" } |filter { .first = "A" } |for { .print }
; prints:
; Anne
; Adam
fac: fn { x } { either x = 1 { 1 } { x * fac x - 1 } }
; function that calculates factorial
range 1 10 |map { .fac } |print\csv
; prints: 1,2,6,24,120,720,5040,40320,362880,3628800
kind: "admin"
open sqlite://data.db |query { select * from user where kind = ?kind }
; returns: Spreadsheet of admins
read %name.txt |fix { "Anonymous" } |post* https://example.com/postname 'text
; makes HTTP post of the name read from a file, or "Anonymous" if file failed to be readVisit this set of pages to find out more (work in progress):
These pages are littered with examples. You can find them on this README page, on our blog, on Introductions, but also:
- Examples folder - unorganized so far, will change
- Solutions to simple compression puzzle
Python is the lingua franca of dynamic programming languages, so comparing examples in Python and Rye can be helpful to some:
- Less variables, more flows example vs Python
- Simple compression puzzle - from Python to Rye solution
The author of Factor once said that at the end it's not about the language, but the libraries. I can only agree, adding libraries, and distribution.
- Core builtin functions ⭐⭐⭐ 🧪~80%
- Bcrypt - password hashing
- Bson - binary (j)son
- Crypto - cryptographic functions ⭐
- Email - email generation and parsing
- Html - html parsing
- Http - http servers and clients ⭐⭐
- IO (!) - can be excluded at build time ⭐⭐
- Json - json parsing ⭐⭐
- Mysql - database ⭐
- Postgresql - database ⭐
- Psutil - linux process management
- Regexp - regular expressions ⭐ 🧪~50%
- Smtpd - smtp server (receiver)
- Sqlite - database ⭐⭐
- Sxml - sax XML like streaming dialect
- Validation - validation dialect ⭐⭐ 🧪~50%
- Webview - Webview GUI
- Amazon AWS
- Bleve full text search
- Cayley graph database
- OpenAI - OpenAI API
- Postmark - email sending service
- Telegram bot - telegram bots
- Ebitengine - 2d game engine
- Fyne - desktop and mobile GUI
legend: ⭐ priority , 🧪 tests
For most up-to date information on the language, and its development, visit our old and new blog.
This is another place for updates and also potential discussions. You are welcome to join our reddit group.
If code speaks to you, our Github page is the central location for all things Rye. You are welcome to collaborate, post Issues or PR-s, there are tons of things to do and improve :)
Rye is developed on Linux, but has also been compiled on macOS, Docker and as WASM module. If you need additional architecture or OS, post an Issue.
You can find precompiled Binaries for Linux and macOS under Releases.
Docker images are published under Packages.
This image includes Linux, Rye binary ready for use and Emacs-nox editor.
Docker image: ghcr.io/refaktor/rye
Run it via:
docker run -ti ghcr.io/refaktor/ryeThe repository comes with a local Docker image that builds rye and allows you to do so.
docker build -t refaktor/rye -f .docker/Dockerfile .Run 🏃♂️ the rye REPL with:
docker run -ti refaktor/ryeUse official documentation or lines below to install Golang 1.19.3 https://go.dev/doc/install (at the time of writing):
wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.21.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz
rm -rf /usr/local/go && tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.21.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin
go version
Clone the main branch from the Rye repository:
git clone https://github.com/refaktor/rye.git && cd rye
Build the tiny version of Rye:
go build -tags "b_tiny"
Run the rye file:
./rye hello.rye
Run the Rye Console
./rye
Install build-essential if you don't already have it, for packages that require cgo (like sqlite):
sudo apt install build-essential
Rye has many bindings, that you can determine at build time, so (currently) you get a specific Rye binary for your specific project. This is an example of a build with many bindings. I've been working on a way to make this more elegant and systematic, but the manual version is:
go build -tags "b_tiny,b_sqlite,b_http,b_sql,b_postgres,b_openai,b_bson,b_crypto,b_smtpd,b_mail,b_postmark,b_bcrypt,b_telegram"
Rye can also work inside your browser or any other WASM container. I will add examples, html pages and info about it, but to build it:
GOOS=js GOARCH=wasm go build -tags "b_tiny" -o wasm/rye.wasm main_wasm.go
Run the demo server for testing WASM version
bin/rye serve_wasm.rye
Then visit http://localhost:8085 or http://localhost:8085/ryeshell/
Run the Rye code tests.
cd tests
../bin/rye main.rye test
Build the function reference out of tests:
cd tests
../bin/rye main.rye doc
Rye has Syntax highlighting for Emacs and VS Code. For VS Code just search for ryelang in the Extension marketplace. For Emacs it will be published soon on github.
Rebol - Rebol's author Carl Sassenrath invented or combined together 90% of concepts that Rye builds upon.
Factor - Factor from Slava Pestov taught me new fluidity and that variables are no-good, but stack shuffle words are even worse ;)
Red - Another language inspired by Rebol from well known Rebol developer DocKimbel and his colleagues. A concrete endeavor, with its low level language, compiler, GUI, ...
Oldes' Rebol 3 - Rebol3 fork maintained by Oldes (from Amanita Design), tries to resolve issues without unnecessarily changing the language itself.
Arturo - Another unique language that builds on Rebol's core ideas.
Charm - Not related to Rebol, but an interesting Go based language with some similar runtime ideas and challenges.
Ren-c - Rebol 3 fork maintained by HostileFork, more liberal with changes to the language.
You can post an Issue visit github Discussions or contact me through gmail or twitter.