Red (programming language)
Paradigm | imperative, functional, symbolic |
---|---|
Designed by | Nenad Rakočević[1] |
Developer | Nenad Rakočević |
First appeared | 2011 |
Stable release | 0.6.4[2] (Alpha)
/ December 7, 2018 |
OS | Linux, Windows, OS X, Syllable |
License | modified BSD and Boost |
Filename extensions | .red, .reds |
Website | {{{1}}} |
Influenced by | |
Rebol, Scala, Lua |
Red is a programming language designed to overcome the limitations of the programming language Rebol.[3] Red was introduced in 2011 by Nenad Rakočević,[4] and is both an imperative and functional programming language. Its syntax and general usage overlaps that of the interpreted Rebol language.[5]
The implementation choices of Red intend to create a full stack programming language:[4][6] Red can be used for extremely high-level programming (DSLs and GUIs) as well as low-level programming (operating systems and device drivers). Key to the approach is that the language has two parts: Red/System and Red.[7]
- Red/System is similar to C, but packaged into a Rebol lexical structure – for example, one would write Template:Smalltalk instead of
if (x > y) {printf("Hello\n");}
. - Red is a homoiconic language[3] capable of meta-programming, with Rebol-like semantics. Red's runtime library is written in Red/System, and uses a hybrid approach: it compiles what it can deduce statically and uses an embedded interpreter otherwise. The project roadmap includes a just-in-time compiler for cases in between, but this has not yet been implemented.
Red seeks to remain independent of any other toolchain; it does its own code generation.[3] It is therefore possible to cross-compile[6] Red programs from any platform it supports to any other, via a command-line switch. Both Red and Red/System are distributed as open-source software under the modified BSD license. The runtime library is distributed under the more permissive Boost Software License.
As of version 0.6.4 Red includes a garbage collector "the Simple GC".[2]
Introduction
Red was introduced in the Netherlands in February 2011 at the Rebol & Boron conference[8] by its author Nenad Rakočević. In September 2011, the Red programming language was presented to a larger audience during the Software Freedom Day 2011.[9][10] Rakočević is a long-time Rebol developer known as the creator of the Cheyenne HTTP server.[11]
Features
Red's syntax and semantics are very close to those of Rebol.[4][12] Like Rebol, it strongly supports metaprogramming and domain-specific languages (DSLs) and is therefore a highly efficient tool for dialecting (creating embedded DSLs). Red includes a dialect called Red/System, a C-level language which provides system programming facilities.[7] Red is easy to integrate with other tools and languages as a DLL (libRed) and very lightweight (around 1 MB). It is also able to cross-compile to various platforms (see Cross Compilation section below) and create packages for platforms that require them (e.g., .APK on Android).[7] Red also includes a fully reactive cross-platform GUI system based on an underlying reactive dataflow engine, a 2D drawing dialect comparable to SVG, compile-time and runtime macro support, and more than 40 standard datatypes.
Goals
The following is the list of Red's Goals as presented on the Software Freedom Day 2011:[9][10]
- Simplicity ("An IDE should not be necessary to write code.")
- Compactness ("Being highly expressive maximizes productivity.")
- Speed ("If too slow, it cannot be general-purpose enough.")
- Be "Green", Have a Small Footprint ("Because resources are not limitless.")
- Ubiquity ("Spread everywhere.")
- Portability, Write once run everywhere ("That's the least expected from a programming language.")
- Flexibility ("Not best but good fit for any task!")
Development
Red's development is planned to be done in two phases:
- Initial phase: Red and Red/System compilers written in Rebol 2
- Bootstrap phase: Red and Red/System compilers complemented by a Red JIT-compiler, all written in Red
Cross compilation
Red currently supports the following cross-compilation targets:
- MS-DOS: Windows, x86, console (and GUI) applications
- Windows: Windows, x86, GUI applications
- Linux: Linux, x86
- Linux-ARM: Linux, ARMv5, armel (soft-float)
- Raspberry Pi: Linux, ARMv5, armhf (hard-float)
- FreeBSD: x86
- Darwin: OS X Intel, console (and GUI) applications
- Syllable: Syllable OS, x86
- Android: Android, ARMv5
- Android-x86: Android, x86
(Note: This list will increase with time and should therefore be considered as incomplete.)
Hello World!
Red [Title: "Simple hello world script"] print "Hello World!"
Factorial example
IMPORTANT: These are intended as syntax examples. Until Red has 64-bit support, the integer example will overflow a 32-bit integer very quickly. Changing that to `float!` will go farther, but these are merely to show the syntax of the language.
The following is a factorial example in Red:
Red [Title: "A factorial script"] ; Note: The title is optional. factorial: func [ x [integer!] ; Giving the type of an argument in Red is optional ][ either x = 0 [1][x * factorial x - 1] ]
The following is the same factorial example in Red/System (in this very simple case, the source code is very similar to Red's version):
Red/System [Title: "A factorial script"] factorial: func [ x [integer!] ; This is compulsory in Red/System return: [integer!] ; This is compulsory in Red/System ][ either x = 0 [1][x * factorial x - 1] ]
See also
References
- ↑ "Creator of Red". https://github.com/dockimbel.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 lucindamichele. "0.6.4 Simple GC and Pure Red GUI Console". https://www.red-lang.org/2018/12/064-simple-gc-and-pure-red-gui-console.html. "The main feature for 0.6.4 is what we call the Simple GC (Garbage Collector). A more advanced GC is planned for the future"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Getting Started with GUI Programming using Red Language". https://www.studytonight.com/post/getting-started-with-gui-programming-using-red-programming-language.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Balbaert 2018.
- ↑ "Interview with Nenad Rakocevic about Red, a Rebol inspired programming language". 28 August 2015. https://www.notamonadtutorial.com/interview-with-nenad-rakocevic-about-red-a-rebol-inspired-programming-language/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "6 Unusual & Groundbreaking Programming Languages to Learn in 2023". 18 October 2023. https://www.makeuseof.com/programming-languages-to-learn-in-2023/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lucas, Mathis (21 July 2023). "Red: an imperative and functional programming language that is also a "full battery" language". Developpez.com. https://programmation.developpez.com/actu/346670/Red-un-langage-de-programmation-imperatif-et-fonctionnel-et-decrit-comme-un-langage-a-pile-complete-c-est-a-dire-qu-il-peut-etre-utilise-pour-la-programmation-de-haut-niveau-et-de-bas-niveau/.
- ↑ « New Red Programming Language Gets Syllable Backend », osnews.com, May 2011.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 « Red Programming Language: Red at Software Freedom Day 2011 », red-lang.org, September 14, 2011.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Software Freedom Day 2011: Red programming language, a new REBOL dialect". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgtgoliZ454.
- ↑ « What is Cheyenne? » Last referenced Nov 2017.
- ↑ "The Dynamic Mapping Architecture". December 2021. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=toledo1639760375713532&disposition=inline.
Further reading
- Balbaert, Ivo (May 2018) (in en). Learn Red - Fundamentals of Red. Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1789130706.
External links
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red (programming language).
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