Self-Programmable
LOVE can rewrite its own interpreter at runtime. Meta-level programming that is impossible in conventional PLs.
LOVE Metalanguage
A linguistics-oriented, self-programmable programming language. Language as a first-class citizen.
example.love
Why LOVE-LANG?
Section titled “Why LOVE-LANG?”Linguistics First
Language is a first-class citizen. Type annotations, contracts, and docs are not bolted on — they are built in.
Five Bracket Levels
A clean topology from data `[x]` to system FFI `[[[[[x]]]]]`. Each ring encodes trust and semantic complexity.
Compiles Anywhere
Built on Racket & Gleam — targeting Erlang BEAM, JavaScript, and WebAssembly. One language, every target.
Isomorphic Grammar
The parser has the same structure as the grammar it parses. The program state at each step is a linear memory array ordered by appearance.
SATOR/SOLID
LOVE maps SOLID engineering principles onto its compilation phases. Correct by construction.
Atlas for readers & builders
Section titled “Atlas for readers & builders”Language support & what we need
LOVE-LANG spans Racket and Gleam, with paths toward the BEAM, JavaScript, and WebAssembly. The docs site itself is the first “client” of that story: we need tight examples, reproducible build notes per target, and honest gaps called out in the open.
- Reference interpreters and compiler stages documented alongside the grammar, not buried in tickets.
- Editor ergonomics: tree-sitter or LSP-quality highlighting, bracket-aware navigation, and snippet packs.
- Localization hooks for Starlight when the prose stabilizes — linguistics belongs in many languages.
Roadmap
Sketches, not promises — the kind of map you fold in a breezy window seat.
- Near — Finish core reference pages (syntax edges, ontology examples, prelude coverage).
- Mid — Package layout, versioning story, and one blessed “hello world” per compile target.
- Further — Deeper meta-circular tales: self-hosted evaluation, formalized invariants, teaching tracks.
Use cases
- Authoring small DSLs where the host language and the object language should feel like cousins, not strangers.
- Teaching programming through linguistics — brackets as trust rings, contracts as visible promises.
- Services that must run on BEAM and the browser with the same semantic spine.
- Research tooling where the parser’s shape mirrors the grammar under study.
Experiments
The metalanguage invites sandboxes: try alternate surface syntaxes, snapshot the linear memory story, or stress-test bracket promotion. Document the failures — a crisp “we tried this” is as valuable as a merge.
- Micro-benchmarks that isolate bracket allocation vs. plain data paths.
- Literate programs that export both docs and runnable artefacts.
- Interop probes with Erlang ports, WASM hosts, and Racket extensions.
For contributors
Issues welcome for doc drift, unclear examples, and missing tests. Prefer small patches with a stated learning goal: what should a reader understand after your change?
- Start from Introduction and note where you stumbled.
- Use the FAQ to park recurring questions until they earn a full guide.
- Point to reproducible commands — LOVE wants to be loved on real machines.
Fruit-aero principles
This site chases an airy, orchard-bright seriousness: ripe accent colours, glassy depth, and typography that breathes. Documentation should feel welcoming without hiding rigour — sweet surface, honest core.
- Gradients and blur suggest atmosphere; content stays concrete and testable.
- Motion is sparing — a gentle float, not a carnival — so readers with vestibular sensitivity stay comfortable.
- Playful touches reward curiosity but never block the path to the spec.