new ideas

README.md

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+# Ginger
+
+A lisp-like language built on the go programming language. The ideas are still a
+work-in-progress, and this repo is where I'm jotting down my notes.
+
+# Walkthrough
+
+This is a number which evalutates to 5:
+
+```
+5
+```
+
+This is a string, as it contains no whitespace:
+
+```
+ImJustAString
+```
+
+This is also a string, it can contain anything:
+
+```
+"! I'm the king of the world !"
+```
+
+This is a list. It evaluates to a linked-list of its elements (not lisp-like!):
+
+```
+(a b c d)
+```
+
+This is a string:
+
+```
++
+```
+
+This is a string being evaluated, it will return a function:
+
+```
+:+
+```
+
+This is a list, with a string and two numbers:
+
+```
+(+ 1 2)
+```
+
+This is a list, with a function and two numbers:
+
+```
+(:+ 1 2)
+```
+
+This is a list being evalutated, the first item in the list must be a function:
+
+```
+:(:+ 1 2)
+```
+
+This is a list in a list:
+
+```
+((a b) foo bar)
+```
+
+This is an anonymous function, it takes in the arguments `a` and `b`, and
+returns their sum:
+
+```
+#((a b)
+    :(:+ :a :b))
+```
+
+`map` takes in a function and a list, and calls the function on each item in the
+list. The following will return `(1 2 3)`:
+
+```
+:(:map               ; This is a comment, it's ignored
+    #((a) (:+ :a 1)) ; <- Increment function
+    (0 1 2))
+```
+
+`name` names a value. After the following call, `:ted` will always evalutate to
+`5`:
+
+```
+:(:name ted 5)
+```
+
+You can name any value, including functions:
+
+```
+:(:name increment #((a) :(:+ a 1)))
+```
+
+Now the `map` example above can be simplified down to:
+
+```
+:(:map :increment (0 1 2))
+```