Genie (programming language)

Last updated
Genie
Paradigm multi-paradigm: imperative, structured, object-oriented
Designed by Jamie McCracken
First appeared2008;15 years ago (2008)
Stable release
0.52.3 / May 1, 2021;2 years ago (2021-05-01)
Typing discipline static, strong
OS Cross-platform (every platform supported by GLib)
License LGPLv2.1+
Filename extensions .gs
Website wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Genie OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Influenced by
Python, Boo, D, Object Pascal

Genie is a modern, general-purpose high-level programming language in development since 2008. [1] It was designed as an alternative, simpler and cleaner dialect for the Vala compiler, while preserving the same functionality of the Vala language. Genie uses the same compiler and libraries as Vala; the two can indeed be used alongside each other. [2] The differences are only syntactic.

Contents

Genie's syntax is derived from numerous modern languages like Python, Boo, D and Delphi. In the vein of Python, Genie uses indentation rather than explicit block delimiters (like, for example, curly brackets) to delimit blocks.

Like Vala, Genie uses the GObject type system to create classes and interfaces declared in Genie source code, without imposing additional runtime requirements (i.e., unlike Python, Java or C#, it does not require a virtual machine).

Genie allows access to C libraries, especially those based in GObject (like GTK), without using a different application binary interface (ABI). During compilation, the code is first translated to C source and header files, which are then compiled to platform-specific machine code using any available C compiler like GCC, thus allowing cross-platform software development.

Programs developed in Vala and Genie do not depend on the GNOME Desktop Environment, usually requiring only GLib.

Code samples

"Hello World"

This sample explicitly uses four spaces for indentation.

[indent=4]  init     print "Hello, world!"

Objects

With no explicit indentation declaration, the default is tabs.

class Sample   def run()   stdout.printf("Hello, world! \n ")  init  var sample = new Sample()  sample.run()

Criticism

As of 2013, Genie "for" loops are inclusive, which makes handling of empty lists cumbersome: [3] 

varl=newlistofstringifl.size>0forvari=0to(l.size-1)printl.@get(i)

However, one can also iterate over lists via the for-in construct. This is easy and straightforward: [4] 

varl=newlistofstringforsinl:prints

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References

  1. ↑ Jamie McCracken (2008). "Introducing Genie - the smart programming language". Archived from the original on 2011-08-18.
  2. ↑ Using Genie and Vala together
  3. ↑ Tal Liron (11 January 2013). Genie. Event occurs at 32:29. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20.
  4. ↑ "Projects/Genie - GNOME Wiki!".


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