Probie
Probie is a language created by Heartade[user ns] which is characteristically run by a Probe which constantly moves on a code written on two-dimensional field. In Probie, the code space and memory space are not separated, all values are stored as characters, and the code itself may change during runtime.
Probie is loosely Turing Complete, and you can download a simple IDE (written in Java, credits to Orb_H) from the GitHub page to test it on your own. The IDE also features interactive simulator showing how the codes work, so it may help you understand Probie better.
Definition of field
The field refers to the code itself, which consists of lines of text with constant width. Each character on the field is called cell. The interpreter determines the width of the field based on the width of the first line. After that, the interpreter throws an exception when the probe or cursor tries to read or write a value, where there is none. (Note that simply placing the probe or cursor outside the field would not cause an exception; only trying to 'access' a nonexistent cell would cause the interpreter to fail.)
During the operation, the cells in the field are modified by the probes in real time in order to perform data storage and operations. The position of a cell is expressed as [Y, X], meaning Xth column of Yth row when viewed as a two-dimensional array. The location of the first character of the code is [0, 0].
Definition of Cursor and Probe
The MEM cursor and probe are always present on the field, and the probe is composed of READ pointer and WRITE pointer.
MEM cursor
The MEM cursor moves only when the probe orders it to, and it can save or load values on the field. The MEM cursor is located at the position [0, 0] at the start of a program.
Probe
The probe is always moving; each time moving to a nearby cell and performing an action. When the probe's moving interval becomes zero, the interpreter accepts it as a halt sign. The probe consists of a READ pointer which reads commands and a WRITE pointer which performs those read by READ, and is able to store a value. (Refer to 4. Character and Value for how the values are stored.)
READ pointer
The READ pointer reads a command from its position on the field every time it moves to a new position. Position of the probe is defined as position of the READ pointer. The READ pointer is located on [0, 0] at the beginning of the program and starts to move one cell at a time to the right.
WRITE pointer
The WRITE pointer performs commands read by the READ pointer, and the position of the WRITE pointer is defined relatively to the READ pointer. The position of the WRITE pointer is [0, 0] from the READ pointer at the beginning of the program.
Character and Value
All values stored in the probe and the cell are stored as characters. For example, if you perform an addition of 0 and 2, it would become b because PROBIE counts this as addition of 48 and 50 in ASCII values.
Value of the characters
The characters present in the ASCII code table have the same value as the corresponding code.
Any unicode character that does not exist in ASCII code table (except the ones listed below) has a value of 0.
In the ASCII code table, numbers from 0 to 31 and 127 are not printable, so the following characters have their values instead :
- ○ : 0 (this character is a default when the interpreter has to handle the value 0.)
- ① - ⑮ : 1-15
- ◎ : 16
- ⓐ - ⓞ : 17 - 31
- ● : 127
Special characters
Some characters take up two cells. During the reading activity, when the probe encounters a \, it will try to read and save the next character as well. They are used to process tasks such as P or I. If these characters are given as user input to a probe of I state, they would be stored as two separate characters in the input buffer.
Note that these characters have a value of zero in and can be read differently depending on the direction of the probe movement.
- \0 : indicates the end of the string.
- \n : indicates a line break.
- \t : indicates a tab.
- \\ : stands for \.
- If any other character other than listed above is read after the \, the probe will overwrite the \ character.
Command
The following commands are valid immediately after being read by the READ pointer : Therefore, it is advised to place the READ and WRITE pointers in different positions. (That is because if these two pointers are always located in the same cell, for example the P command would always print itself and the I command would always overwrite itself.)
Commands are divided into volatile commands which tell the probe to perform a specific motion once, movement commands which move the probe and cursor, and the nonvolatile commands which tell the probe to constantly perform an action after each move.
The READ pointer ignores non-command characters. You are free to write whatever you want on the course of the READ pointer!
Volatile commands
Conditional Operators
Conditional Operators all move the probe by 1 cell. The direction of the movement depends on outcome of the comparison, and does not impact consistent jump interval and direction of the probe itself.
- { : Compare the values 1 cell above and below the current position. Move the probe to the left if the above value is greater; else move it to the right.
- } : Compare the values 1 cell above and below the current position. Move the probe to the right if the above value is greater; else move it to the left.
- ∧ : Compare the values 1 cell left and right to the current position. Move the probe upwards if the left value is greater; else move it downwards.
- ∨ : Compare the values 1 cell left and right to the current position. Move the probe downwards if the left value is greater; else move it upwards.
- ↔ : Compare the value stored on the probe and the value of the WRITE pointer position. Move the probe to the left if the value stored on the probe is greater; else move it to the right.
- ↕ : Compare the value stored on the probe and the value of the WRITE pointer position. Move the probe upwards if the value stored on the probe is greater; else move it downwards.
Operators
When performing calculations, please note that the size of the values that can be stored on each cell or probe are limited to a range of 0 to 127, and values outside the range are stored as remainder of the value divided by 128.
Altering the value at the position of the WRITE pointer
- + : Add value stored in the probe to the cell of WRITE pointer location.
- - : Deduct value stored in the probe from the cell of WRITE pointer location.
- x : Multiply the value in the cell of WRITE pointer location with value stored in the probe.
- ÷ : Divide the value in the cell of WRITE pointer location with value stored in the probe.
- % : Divide the value in the cell of WRITE pointer location with value stored in the probe and get the remainder.
Altering the value stored on the probe
- A : Add the value of the WRITE pointer position to the value stored in the probe.
- D : Subtract the value of the WRITE pointer position from the value stored in the probe.
- M : Multiply the value stored in the probe with the value of WRITE pointer location.
- d : Divide the value stored in the probe with the value of WRITE pointer location.
- m : Divide the value stored in the probe with the value of WRITE pointer location and get the remainder.
Interacting with MEM
- The following operations are used to store and recall values in the MEM cursor position :
- [ : Change the value stored in the probe to the value in the MEM cursor position.
- ] : Change the value in the MEM cursor position to the value stored in the probe.
- _ : Move the X position of the MEM cursor to the value stored on the probe.
- | : Move the Y position of the MEM cursor to the value stored on the probe.
Movement
READ pointer movement
- Movement of the READ pointer is defined with movement interval and direction, which also is the movement of the probe itself.
- > : Increase the movement interval of the READ pointer by 1.
- < : Decrease the movement interval of the READ pointer by 1. The program halts when the movement interval becomes 0.
- R : Rotate the movement direction of the READ pointer 90 degrees clockwise.
- L : Rotate the movement direction of the READ pointer 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
WRITE pointer movement
- →, ←, ↑, ↓ : Move the relative position of WRITE pointer to READ poiner by 1 cell.
MEM cursor movement
- △, ▽, ◁, ▷ : move MEM cursor by 1 cell.
- ▲, ▼, ◀, ▶ : move MEM cursor by movement interval of the probe.
Non-volatile commands
- The following commands continue to be executed until another non-volatile command is read by the READ pointer.
- S : Change the value stored in the probe to the value of the WRITE pointer position.
- s : Change the value of the WRITE pointer position to the value stored in the probe.
- P : Print the value of the WRITE pointer position to the console.
- I : Load one letter at a time from the user input buffer to WRITE pointer position.
- X : Halt S, s, P and I commands.
Comments
- ! : When the READ pointer reads this command, the READ pointer ignores all commands until ! is read again.
Example codes
Many of these are not tested yet, so caution is required.
Hello world!
↓P...........< .HELLO WORLD!.
Repeatedly adding 1 until 9
①.>R..<.[..↓..+....↑←←R ...↓......n\..0L]XS←←▷R ...↓.......9..>↔L→→→→◁R ...R↓Xs↑.X.PXSP.....↑↑R ..............L.<→→→→↓R ........<X..........P.R ..........n\!dehsiniF..
01 to 99
R...................................................................... / ! MEMORY SPACE FOR FIRST DIGIT ! .................................. 0 ! MEMORY SPACE FOR SECOND DIGIT ! .................................. ① ! MEMORY SPACE FOR INTEGER CONST ! .................................. ......................................................! END ! <........ ............<.................................................<........ L▽→[........↕9.................................................9....... ....R─────▽→←△─────────────────────────────────────────R.R↑──>L↔<─R.... ....│.......................! CALCULATION SPACE !.0....│.│........↓.... ....│...! LOADING VARIABLE !..L────────────Xs[▽↑─R.│........▽.... ....│...! ADDING OPERATION !..L↑▽▽[─────────+───△R.│........▽.... ....│...! SAVING VARIABLE TO MEM !..L△──────────]XS──↑△R.│........[.... ....│...! RETURNING WRITE POS !..L──────────────↓↓↓───L........△.... ....│.............................................................△.... ....│...../.! RESERVED SPACE !....................................│.... ....R↓↓─────△△─────────────────L.! RETURNING MEM POS !............│.... ....R↑↑───SX▽▽]────────────────L.! RESETTING DIGIT !............│.... ....│.............................................................│.... ....←.R←────────────────────────────────────────────────────────R │.... ....├↔8...........................! CALCULATION SPACE !.n\0.....│ │.... ....→→..! LOADING VARIABLE !..L────────────────────Xs[▽▽↑─R │.... ....││..! ADDING OPERATION !..L↑▽[──────────────────+─────R │.... ....││..! SAVING VARIABLE TO MEM !..L───────────────────]XS───↑△R │.... ....││..! LOADING VARIABLE !..L↑△[──────────────────sX────R │.... ....││..! PRINTING VARIABLE !..L────────────────────XP───↑─R │.... ....││..! LOADING VARIABLE !..L↑▽[──────────────────sX────R │.... ....││..! PRINTING VARIABLE !..L──────────────────X──P───↑─R │.... ....││..! RETURNING WRITE POS !..L↓△△──────────────────↓↓↓↓↓↓R │.... ....││..........................................................│.│.... ....│R──────────────────────────────────────────────────←─┬──→──R │.... ....│....................................................1∧0─→────R.... ....R───────────────────────────────────────────────────←─┘............ .......................................................................
QUINE
S8X→↑.R...0...n\#........................................ ......→...0...n\#........................................ RP########0###n\←######################################XR →.....↑...0...n\# L→→↑↑R R#↑↓↓.↑↓L.0...n\# L→P#XR RPX↓↓.↑↓L.0...n\# Hello World! # ←.....↑...0...n\# Whatever you want here. # ←.....↑...0...n\# # ←A∨↑##RL#.0...n\# # R↓↓↓↓↓#R↕#0X#Pn\###################################↑↑↑↑↑R ........<.9...n\#........................................