Language Basics

Jock is a high-level, general-purpose, functional programming language which targets the Nock ISA. Jock supports basic programming control constructs and data types, as well as cross-compatibility with Hoon (a powerful lower-level language also targeting the Nock ISA). Jock's syntax is similar to Python, Swift, Ruby, and other scripting languages.

Every Jock expression must result in a value, and values must be composed together in a “sensical” way. As a language which is functional-as-in-Lisp-like, Jock can emit side effects, but typically is conceived of as a pure function operating on input.

The simplest possible Jock programs are, therefore, simply data literals, like 5. We call bare values like these atoms and collections of them cells (pairs) or tuples (general n-ary).

Atoms

Jock currently supports the following data types:

• A noun is the most general type, being either an atom or a cell; the type is written *.

• 1.000 is a numeric atom 1000 or 1,000 (German-style delimiters); the type is written @.

• 0xdead.beef is a hexadecimal atom; there is not yet a type marker.

• 'this is å message' is a string atom; there is not yet a type marker.

• true /false are loobeans; the type is written ?.

• %txt is a text constant or symbol.

Containers

Containers are collections of other containers and/or atoms.

Cell/Tuple

The simplest container is a cell (Nock pair) or a tuple.

(1 2)          // a pair of atoms
(1 2 3)        // a 3-tuple of atoms
((1 2) (3 4))  // a pair of pairs of atoms

The next simplest container is a list (null-terminated tuple), which has its own syntax.

[1 2 3]        // a list of atoms (resolves to Nock [1 2 3 0]
[1 2 (3 4)]    // a list of atoms and cells

Jock also supports Sets, collections of unique elements.

{1 2 3 4 5}    // a Set of atoms

Expressions

Expressions in Jock may be as simple as data literals (as above), ranging up to function calls and operator expressions.

(5 * 12) / 6           // an expression resolving to 10
hoon.met(3 'hello')    // count the bytes (2³) in 'hello'

Statements

Statements involve Jock keywords and must adhere to Jock syntax.

let a = [1 2 3];      // a list of atoms
hoon.lent(a)          // the length as an atom, 3

Most statements end with a required ; “mic” to denote the program's continuation. Only terminal expressions (expressions that result in a value to be returned out of the evaluation tree) do not end in a ; “mic”.