FP trivia

FP trivia is a pointfree programming language inspired by FP of John Backus, APL, Smalltalk and Lisp. It is intended to remedy the problematic fact that FP is viewed as free of variables, which is also true in terms of lambda variables, but not in terms of the instance variables that are used by FP trivia. The main data type is therefore a table that the instance variables can access. It should not be forgotten that one motivation for creating FP was the use of an "Algebra of Programming".

Syntax

A table is a linear arrangement of key–value pairs similar to a linked list.

   ( value0 key0 value1 key1 value2 key2 ... ... valuen keyn )

An instance variable can then access a certain key and pick out the associated value.

   #key1 : (value0 key0 value1 key1 value2 key2 ... ... valuen keyn)
   --> value1

In the original FP by John Backus, it was only possible to access values in a sequence using numbers as selectors. This is still possible via integer numbers on the values in the table.

   [2] : (value0 key0 value1 key1 value2 key2 ... ... valuen keyn)
   --> value2

So you can define a function that adds three numbers.

   triadd == (#a + #b + #c) <- a;b;c;

   triadd ° 10,20,30,
   --> 60

Algebra of Programming

The programs are in the arithmetic expression tree structure mentioned above and can be changed using algebraic rules. (A right-associativity must be observed)

   f == id * id
   g == id + 1

   p == (2*id) * (f + g)
     == (2*id*f) + (2*id*g)
     == (2*id*g) + (2*id*f)
     == (g*id*2) + (f*id*2)    // etc

Program Combinators are used in Infix Notation

Combinator	Form
Constant	'x	= x	= x
Application	f : x	= f(x)	= r
Composition	(f o g) : x	= f(g(x))	= r
Construction	(f1 , f2 , ... , fn ,) : x	= (f1:x) , (f2:x) , ... , (fn:x) ,	= (r1 ; r2 ; ... ; rn ;)
Condition	(f -> g | h) : x	= if (f:x) then (g:x) else (h:x)	= r
While-Loop	(f ->* g) : x	= while (f:x) do new x = (g:x)	= r
Apply-to-All	(f aa) : (x1 ; x2 ; ... ; xn ;)	= (f:x1) , (f:x2) , ... (f:xn) ,	= (r1 ; r2 ; ... ; rn ;)
Insertr	(f \) : (x1 ; x2 ; ... ; xn ;)	= f:(x1 ; f:(x2 ; f:(... ; f:(xn-1 ; xn ;) ;) ;) ;)	= r
Eval-Eval	(f ee g) : x	= (f:x) , (g:x) ,	= (r1 ; r2 ;)
Apply	(f app g) : x	= apply(f(x),g(x))	= r

New infix combinators can be built with the functions term and arg and the existing functions and combinators.

Instance variables with type test predicates

In order to achieve better type security for the instance variables, there is the option of type testing with predicates.

   triadd == (#a + float°(#b + round°#c)) <- a isreal b isint c isnum

   triadd ° 10,'[20],30,
   --> 60

   triadd ° 10,20,30,
   --> Exception... Typemismatch

External links

• Website
• Download
• Libraries in FP trivia