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diff --git a/blog/2023-02-02-exploring-hare.org b/blog/2023-02-02-exploring-hare.org index e187041..c934b7d 100644 --- a/blog/2023-02-02-exploring-hare.org +++ b/blog/2023-02-02-exploring-hare.org @@ -1,162 +1,189 @@ -+++ -date = 2023-02-02 -title = "Exploring the Hare Programming Language" -description = "Walking back through my first project using the Hare programming language." -aliases = ["/blog/testing-out-hare"] -+++ - -## A Quick Note - -By no means am I a professional developer, so this post will be rather short. -I won't be going into depth on the specification or anything that technical. - -Instead, I will simply be talking about how I (a relatively basic hobbyist -programmer) have been playing with Hare and what intrigues me about the -language. - -## Hare - -The [Hare](https://harelang.org) programming language is a straightforward -language that should look familiar if you've ever programmed with C, Rust, -or other languages that aim to build software at the system-level. +#+title: Exploring the Hare Programming Language +#+date: 2023-02-02 + +** A Quick Note +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: a-quick-note +:END: +By no means am I a professional developer, so this post will be rather +short. I won't be going into depth on the specification or anything that +technical. + +Instead, I will simply be talking about how I (a relatively basic +hobbyist programmer) have been playing with Hare and what intrigues me +about the language. + +** Hare +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: hare +:END: +The [[https://harelang.org][Hare]] programming language is a +straightforward language that should look familiar if you've ever +programmed with C, Rust, or other languages that aim to build software +at the system-level. The Hare homepage states the following: -> Hare is a systems programming language designed to be simple, stable, and -> robust. Hare uses a static type system, manual memory management, and -> minimal runtime. It is well-suited to writing operating systems, system -> tools, compilers, networking software, and other low-level, high performance -> tasks. +#+begin_quote +Hare is a systems programming language designed to be simple, stable, +and robust. Hare uses a static type system, manual memory management, +and minimal runtime. It is well-suited to writing operating systems, +system tools, compilers, networking software, and other low-level, high +performance tasks. -I have found this all to be true while playing with it for the first time today. -In the next few sections, I'm going to walk through my installation and first -program. +#+end_quote -### Installation +I have found this all to be true while playing with it for the first +time today. In the next few sections, I'm going to walk through my +installation and first program. -I'm currently running Alpine Linux on my Thinkpad, so the installation was quite -easy as there is a package for Hare in the `apk` repositories. +*** Installation +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: installation +:END: +I'm currently running Alpine Linux on my Thinkpad, so the installation +was quite easy as there is a package for Hare in the =apk= repositories. -```sh +#+begin_src sh doas apk add hare hare-doc -``` +#+end_src -However, I was able to install Hare from scratch on Fedora Linux a short while -ago, which was also very easy to do. If you need further instructions and Hare -doesn't have a package on your system, take a look at the [Hare -Installation](https://harelang.org/installation/) page. - -### Creating a Test Project +However, I was able to install Hare from scratch on Fedora Linux a short +while ago, which was also very easy to do. If you need further +instructions and Hare doesn't have a package on your system, take a look +at the [[https://harelang.org/installation/][Hare Installation]] page. +*** Creating a Test Project +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: creating-a-test-project +:END: In order to play with the language, I created -[hare-test](https://git.sr.ht/~cmc/hare-projects) and will be -putting any of my Hare-related adventures in here. +[[https://git.sr.ht/~cmc/hare-projects][hare-test]] and will be putting +any of my Hare-related adventures in here. + +#+begin_quote +*Update:* I also created a simple Hare program for creating a file from +user input: +[[https://git.sr.ht/~cmc/hare-projects/tree/main/item/files/files.ha][files.ha]] -> **Update:** I also created a simple Hare program for creating a file from user -> input: -> [files.ha](https://git.sr.ht/~cmc/hare-projects/tree/main/item/files/files.ha) +#+end_quote -Luckily, Hare doesn't require any complex set-up tools or build environment. -Once you have Hare installed, you simply need to create a file ending with `.ha` -and you can run a Hare program. +Luckily, Hare doesn't require any complex set-up tools or build +environment. Once you have Hare installed, you simply need to create a +file ending with =.ha= and you can run a Hare program. -I created a file called `rgb.ha` in order to test out the random number +I created a file called =rgb.ha= in order to test out the random number generation and passing parameters between functions. -```sh +#+begin_src sh nano rgb.ha -``` +#+end_src -Within this file, I was able to easily import a few of the [standard library -modules](https://harelang.org/tutorials/stdlib/): `fmt`, `math::random`, and -`datetime`. +Within this file, I was able to easily import a few of the +[[https://harelang.org/tutorials/stdlib/][standard library modules]]: +=fmt=, =math::random=, and =datetime=. With these modules, I created two functions: -1. `main`: This function calls the `generate_rgb` function and then prints out -the returned values. -2. `generate_rgb`: This function uses the current Unix epoch time to generate a -pseudo-random value and uses this value to create three more random values -between 0 and 255. These three numbers represent a color in RGB format. +1. =main=: This function calls the =generate_rgb= function and then + prints out the returned values. +2. =generate_rgb=: This function uses the current Unix epoch time to + generate a pseudo-random value and uses this value to create three + more random values between 0 and 255. These three numbers represent a + color in RGB format. -> **Note**: Some syntax coloring may look odd, as Zola currently doesn't have a -> syntax highlighting theme for Hare. Instead, I'm using the C theme, which may -> not be exactly accurate when coloring the code below. +#+begin_quote +*Note*: Some syntax coloring may look odd, as Zola currently doesn't +have a syntax highlighting theme for Hare. Instead, I'm using the C +theme, which may not be exactly accurate when coloring the code below. -```c +#+end_quote + +#+begin_src C use datetime; use fmt; use math::random; export fn main() void = { - const rgb = generate_rgb(); - fmt::printfln("RGB: ({}, {}, {})", rgb[0], rgb[1], rgb[2])!; + const rgb = generate_rgb(); + fmt::printfln("RGB: ({}, {}, {})", rgb[0], rgb[1], rgb[2])!; }; fn generate_rgb() []u64 = { - // Use the current Unix epoch time as the seed value - let datetime = datetime::epochunix(&datetime::now()); + // Use the current Unix epoch time as the seed value + let datetime = datetime::epochunix(&datetime::now()); - // Generate initial pseudo-random value - // You must cast the datetime from int to u64 - let x = random::init(datetime: u64); + // Generate initial pseudo-random value + // You must cast the datetime from int to u64 + let x = random::init(datetime: u64); - // Generate RGB values between (0, 255) using pseudo-random init value - let r = random::u64n(&x, 255); - let g = random::u64n(&x, 255); - let b = random::u64n(&x, 255); + // Generate RGB values between (0, 255) using pseudo-random init value + let r = random::u64n(&x, 255); + let g = random::u64n(&x, 255); + let b = random::u64n(&x, 255); - // Structure data as array and return - let rgb_array: [3]u64 = [r, g, b]; - return rgb_array; + // Structure data as array and return + let rgb_array: [3]u64 = [r, g, b]; + return rgb_array; }; -``` - -### Running a Program +#+end_src -Once you have a Hare file written and ready to run, you simply need to run it: +*** Running a Program +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: running-a-program +:END: +Once you have a Hare file written and ready to run, you simply need to +run it: -```sh +#+begin_src sh hare run file.ha -``` +#+end_src You can also compile the program into an executable: -```sh +#+begin_src sh hare build -o example file.ha ./example -``` - -### Initial Thoughts - -#### Documentation Improvements Would Help - -While I was able to piece everything together eventually, the biggest downfall -right now in Hare's documentation. For such a new project, the documentation is -in a great spot. However, bare specifications don't help as much as a brief -examples section would. - -For example, it took me a while to figure out what the `u64n` function was -looking for. I could tell that it took two parameters and the second was my max -value (255), but couldn't figure out what the first value should be. Eventually, -I inspected the `random.ha` file in the [Hare source -code](https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/hare/tree/master/item/math/random/random.ha) -and found the test suite that helped me discover that it needed an `init()` -value in the form of `&var`. - -#### More Basic Modules - +#+end_src + +*** Initial Thoughts +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: initial-thoughts +:END: +**** Documentation Improvements Would Help +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: documentation-improvements-would-help +:END: +While I was able to piece everything together eventually, the biggest +downfall right now in Hare's documentation. For such a new project, the +documentation is in a great spot. However, bare specifications don't +help as much as a brief examples section would. + +For example, it took me a while to figure out what the =u64n= function +was looking for. I could tell that it took two parameters and the second +was my max value (255), but couldn't figure out what the first value +should be. Eventually, I inspected the =random.ha= file in the +[[https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/hare/tree/master/item/math/random/random.ha][Hare +source code]] and found the test suite that helped me discover that it +needed an =init()= value in the form of =&var=. + +**** More Basic Modules +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: more-basic-modules +:END: This is another point that comes from Hare being new and awaiting more -contributions, but there are some basic functions that I would personally enjoy -seeing in Hare, such as one to convert decimal (base 10) values to hexadecimal -(base 16). - -If I'm feeling comfortable with my math, I may work on the list of functions I -want and see if any can make it into the Hare source code. - -#### Overall Thoughts - -Overall, I actually really enjoy Hare. It's not as tedious to get a project up -and running as Rust, but it's also simpler and more user-friendly than learning -C. I am going to continue playing with it and see if I can make anything of -particular value. +contributions, but there are some basic functions that I would +personally enjoy seeing in Hare, such as one to convert decimal +(base 10) values to hexadecimal (base 16). + +If I'm feeling comfortable with my math, I may work on the list of +functions I want and see if any can make it into the Hare source code. + +**** Overall Thoughts +:PROPERTIES: +:CUSTOM_ID: overall-thoughts +:END: +Overall, I actually really enjoy Hare. It's not as tedious to get a +project up and running as Rust, but it's also simpler and more +user-friendly than learning C. I am going to continue playing with it +and see if I can make anything of particular value. |