entrelacs

The Entrelacs Language

Introduction

The Entrelacs language (EL) is a programing language evaluated by the Entrelacs machine within an Entrelacs System.

A fully homoiconic and reflexive language

The EL Source code is not textual. It resides in the form of arrow constructs within the Arrow Space. To get the best benefits from this particularity, EL syntax is roughly equivalent to the Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) in Continuation Passing Style (CPS) of a traditional functional language. Please note this is not yet the case in the current prototype 1/7/11

An EL program consequently can very easily:

• access itself at source level,
• modify itself and other programs at source level,
• make these changes persistent.

In addition, the evaluating machine state itself is built out of arrows and may be accessed and edited by the currently evaluated program.

In short, EL is a fully homoiconic and reflexive language. An EL based program gets the ability to access and modify itself (i.e. both introspection and intercession) for both its static and dynamical aspects. It makes an Entrelacs system the ideal platform for reflexive computing.

Syntax

See EntrelacsAbstractMachine for a full definition.