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<section id="thun-joy-in-python">
<h1>Thun: Joy in Python<a class="headerlink" href="#thun-joy-in-python" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h1>
<p>This implementation is meant as a tool for exploring the programming
model and method of Joy. Python seems like a great implementation
language for Joy for several reasons.</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>We can lean on the Python immutable types for our basic semantics and types: ints, floats, strings, and tuples, which enforces functional purity.</p></li>
<li><p>We get garbage collection for free.</p></li>
<li><p>Compilation via Cython.</p></li>
<li><p>Python is a “glue language” with loads of libraries which we can wrap in Joy functions.</p></li>
</ul>
<section id="read-eval-print-loop-repl">
<h2><a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read%E2%80%93eval%E2%80%93print_loop">Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL)</a><a class="headerlink" href="#read-eval-print-loop-repl" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>The main way to interact with the Joy interpreter is through a simple
<a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read%E2%80%93eval%E2%80%93print_loop">REPL</a>
that you start by running the package:</p>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span>$ python3 -m joy
Thun - Copyright © 2017 Simon Forman
This program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type &quot;warranty&quot;.
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
under certain conditions; type &quot;sharing&quot; for details.
Type &quot;words&quot; to see a list of all words, and &quot;[&lt;name&gt;] help&quot; to print the
docs for a word.
&lt;-top
joy? _
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>The <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">&lt;-top</span></code> marker points to the top of the (initially empty) stack.
You can enter Joy notation at the prompt and a <a class="reference internal" href="../pretty.html"><span class="doc">trace of evaluation</span></a> will
be printed followed by the stack and prompt again:</p>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span>joy? 23 sqr 18 +
547 &lt;-top
joy?
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>There is a <cite>trace</cite> combinator:</p>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span>joy? 23 [sqr 18 +] trace
23 . sqr 18 +
23 . dup mul 18 +
23 23 . mul 18 +
529 . 18 +
529 18 . +
547 .
547 &lt;-top
joy?
</pre></div>
</div>
</section>
<section id="the-stack">
<h2>The Stack<a class="headerlink" href="#the-stack" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>In Joy, in addition to the types Boolean, integer, float, and string,
there is a <a class="reference internal" href="../stack.html"><span class="doc">single sequence type</span></a> represented by enclosing a sequence of
terms in brackets <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">[...]</span></code>. This sequence type is used to represent
both the stack and the expression. It is a <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cons#Lists">cons
list</a> made from Python
tuples.</p>
</section>
<section id="purely-functional-datastructures">
<h2>Purely Functional Datastructures<a class="headerlink" href="#purely-functional-datastructures" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>Because Joy stacks are made out of Python tuples they are immutable, as are the other Python types we “borrow” for Joy, so all Joy datastructures are <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purely_functional_data_structure">purely functional</a>.</p>
</section>
<section id="the-joy-function">
<h2>The <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">joy()</span></code> function<a class="headerlink" href="#the-joy-function" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<section id="an-interpreter">
<h3>An Interpreter<a class="headerlink" href="#an-interpreter" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<p>The <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">joy()</span></code> interpreter function is extrememly simple. It accepts a stack, an
expression, and a dictionary, and it iterates through the expression
putting values onto the stack and delegating execution to functions which it
looks up in the dictionary.</p>
</section>
<section id="continuation-passing-style">
<h3><a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuation-passing_style">Continuation-Passing Style</a><a class="headerlink" href="#continuation-passing-style" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<p>One day I thought, What happens if you rewrite Joy to use
<a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuation-passing_style">CPS</a>? I
made all the functions accept and return the expression as well as the
stack and found that all the combinators could be rewritten to work by
modifying the expression rather than making recursive calls to the
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">joy()</span></code> function.</p>
</section>
<section id="view-function">
<h3>View function<a class="headerlink" href="#view-function" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<p>The <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">joy()</span></code> function accepts an optional <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">viewer</span></code> argument that
is a function which it calls on
each iteration passing the current stack and expression just before
evaluation. This can be used for tracing, breakpoints, retrying after
exceptions, or interrupting an evaluation and saving to disk or sending
over the network to resume later. The stack and expression together
contain all the state of the computation at each step.</p>
</section>
<section id="the-traceprinter">
<h3>The <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">TracePrinter</span></code>.<a class="headerlink" href="#the-traceprinter" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<p>A <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">viewer</span></code> records each step of the evaluation of a Joy program. The
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">TracePrinter</span></code> has a facility for printing out a trace of the
evaluation, one line per step. Each step is aligned to the current
interpreter position, signified by a period separating the stack on the
left from the pending expression (“continuation”) on the right.</p>
</section>
</section>
<section id="parser">
<h2>Parser<a class="headerlink" href="#parser" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>The parser is extremely simple. The undocumented <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">re.Scanner</span></code> class
does the tokenizing and then the parser builds the tuple
structure out of the tokens. Theres no Abstract Syntax Tree or anything
like that.</p>
<section id="symbols">
<h3>Symbols<a class="headerlink" href="#symbols" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<p>TODO: Symbols are just a string subclass; used by the parser to represent function names and by the interpreter to look up functions in the dictionary. N.B.: Symbols are not looked up at parse-time. You <em>could</em> define recursive functions, er, recusively, without <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">genrec</span></code> or other recursion combinators <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">foo</span> <span class="pre">==</span> <span class="pre">...</span> <span class="pre">foo</span> <span class="pre">...</span></code> but dont do that.</p>
</section>
<section id="token-regular-expressions">
<h3>Token Regular Expressions<a class="headerlink" href="#token-regular-expressions" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="mi">123</span> <span class="mf">1.2</span> <span class="s1">&#39;single quotes&#39;</span> <span class="s2">&quot;double quotes&quot;</span> <span class="n">function</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>TBD (look in the :module: joy.parser module.)</p>
</section>
<section id="examples">
<h3>Examples<a class="headerlink" href="#examples" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<div class="highlight-python notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="n">joy</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">parser</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">text_to_expression</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s1">&#39;1 2 3 4 5&#39;</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="c1"># A simple sequence.</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">1</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">2</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">3</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">4</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">5</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">())))))</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-python notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="n">joy</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">parser</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">text_to_expression</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s1">&#39;[1 2 3] 4 5&#39;</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="c1"># Three items, the first is a list with three items</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="p">((</span><span class="mi">1</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">2</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">3</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">()))),</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">4</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">5</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">())))</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-python notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="n">joy</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">parser</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">text_to_expression</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s1">&#39;1 23 [&quot;four&quot; [-5.0] cons] 8888&#39;</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="c1"># A mixed bag. cons is</span>
<span class="c1"># a Symbol, no lookup at</span>
<span class="c1"># parse-time. Haiku docs.</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">1</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">23</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">((</span><span class="s1">&#39;four&#39;</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">((</span><span class="o">-</span><span class="mf">5.0</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">()),</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">cons</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">()))),</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">8888</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">()))))</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-python notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="n">joy</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">parser</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">text_to_expression</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s1">&#39;[][][][][]&#39;</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="c1"># Five empty lists.</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="p">((),</span> <span class="p">((),</span> <span class="p">((),</span> <span class="p">((),</span> <span class="p">((),</span> <span class="p">())))))</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-python notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="n">joy</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">parser</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">text_to_expression</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s1">&#39;[[[[[]]]]]&#39;</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="c1"># Five nested lists.</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="p">((((((),</span> <span class="p">()),</span> <span class="p">()),</span> <span class="p">()),</span> <span class="p">()),</span> <span class="p">())</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
</section>
</section>
<section id="library">
<h2>Library<a class="headerlink" href="#library" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>The Joy library of functions (aka commands, or “words” after Forth
usage) encapsulates all the actual functionality (no pun intended) of
the Joy system. There are simple functions such as addition <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">add</span></code> (or
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">+</span></code>, the library module supports aliases), and combinators which
provide control-flow and higher-order operations.</p>
<p>Many of the functions are defined in Python, like <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dip</span></code>:</p>
<div class="highlight-python notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="nb">print</span> <span class="n">inspect</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">getsource</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">joy</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">library</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">dip</span><span class="p">)</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="highlight-default notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="k">def</span> <span class="nf">dip</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">stack</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">expression</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">dictionary</span><span class="p">):</span>
<span class="p">(</span><span class="n">quote</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">stack</span><span class="p">))</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="n">stack</span>
<span class="n">expression</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="n">x</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">expression</span>
<span class="k">return</span> <span class="n">stack</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">concat</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">quote</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">expression</span><span class="p">),</span> <span class="n">dictionary</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>Some functions are defined in equations in terms of other functions.
When the interpreter executes a definition function that function just
pushes its body expression onto the pending expression (the
continuation) and returns control to the interpreter.</p>
<div class="highlight-python notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="nb">print</span> <span class="n">joy</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">library</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">definitions</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<pre class="literal-block">second == rest first
third == rest rest first
product == 1 swap [*] step
swons == swap cons
swoncat == swap concat
flatten == [] swap [concat] step
unit == [] cons
quoted == [unit] dip
unquoted == [i] dip
enstacken == stack [clear] dip
disenstacken == ? [uncons ?] loop pop
? == dup truthy
dinfrirst == dip infra first
nullary == [stack] dinfrirst
unary == [stack [pop] dip] dinfrirst
binary == [stack [popop] dip] dinfrirst
ternary == [stack [popop pop] dip] dinfrirst
pam == [i] map
run == [] swap infra
sqr == dup mul
size == 0 swap [pop ++] step
cleave == [i] app2 [popd] dip
average == [sum 1.0 <em>] [size] cleave /
gcd == 1 [tuck modulus dup 0 &gt;] loop pop
least_fraction == dup [gcd] infra [div] concat map
*fraction == [uncons] dip uncons [swap] dip concat [</em>] infra [*] dip cons
<em>fraction0 == concat [[swap] dip * [</em>] dip] infra
down_to_zero == [0 &gt;] [dup --] while
range_to_zero == unit [down_to_zero] infra
anamorphism == [pop []] swap [dip swons] genrec
range == [0 &lt;=] [1 - dup] anamorphism
while == swap [nullary] cons dup dipd concat loop
dudipd == dup dipd
primrec == [i] genrec</pre>
<p>Currently, theres no function to add new definitions to the dictionary
from “within” Joy code itself. Adding new definitions remains a
meta-interpreter action. You have to do it yourself, in Python, and wash
your hands afterward.</p>
<p>It would be simple enough to define one, but it would open the door to
<em>name binding</em> and break the idea that all state is captured in the
stack and expression. Theres an implicit <em>standard dictionary</em> that
defines the actual semantics of the syntactic stack and expression
datastructures (which only contain symbols, not the actual functions.
Pickle some and see for yourself.)</p>
<section id="there-should-be-only-one">
<h3>“There should be only one.”<a class="headerlink" href="#there-should-be-only-one" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<p>Which brings me to talking about one of my hopes and dreams for this
notation: “There should be only one.” What I mean is that there should
be one universal standard dictionary of commands, and all bespoke work
done in a UI for purposes takes place by direct interaction and macros.
There would be a <em>Grand Refactoring</em> biannually (two years, not six
months, thats semi-annually) where any new definitions factored out of
the usage and macros of the previous time, along with new algorithms and
such, were entered into the dictionary and posted to e.g. IPFS.</p>
<p>Code should not burgeon wildly, as it does today. The variety of code
should map more-or-less to the well-factored variety of human
computably-solvable problems. There shouldnt be dozens of chat apps, JS
frameworks, programming languages. Its a waste of time, a <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundering_herd_problem">fractal
“thundering herd”
attack</a> on
human mentality.</p>
</section>
<section id="literary-code-library">
<h3>Literary Code Library<a class="headerlink" href="#literary-code-library" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h3>
<p>If you read over the other notebooks youll see that developing code in
Joy is a lot like doing simple mathematics, and the descriptions of the
code resemble math papers. The code also works the first time, no bugs.
If you have any experience programming at all, you are probably
skeptical, as I was, but it seems to work: deriving code mathematically
seems to lead to fewer errors.</p>
<p>But my point now is that this great ratio of textual explanation to wind
up with code that consists of a few equations and could fit on an index
card is highly desirable. Less code has fewer errors. The structure of
Joy engenders a kind of thinking that seems to be very effective for
developing structured processes.</p>
<p>There seems to be an elegance and power to the notation.</p>
</section>
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</section>
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<li class="toctree-l1 current"><a class="current reference internal" href="#">Thun: Joy in Python</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="#read-eval-print-loop-repl">Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL)</a></li>
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