SOOP -- Simple Object-Oriented Programming

Example program:

 	{"Hello, World!"!;}

More examples below: [ Extended Examples ]

Syntax and Informal Semantics

Lexemes

The following strings are important parts of the language that are used in more complicated syntactic structures.
1. identifier::= letter #(letter|digit|"_"). Letter and digit are defined in XBNF as the normal ASCII letters A-Z and a-z, and the decimal digits 0-9.
2. operator::= symbol #(symbol).
3. symbol::="!" | "@" | "#" | ... .
4. vertical_bar::="|".
5. semicolon::=";".
6. backslash::="\\".
7. quotes::="\"".

   Constants

8. constant::= number | string | Boolean | null. Constants represent objects that are members of predefined classes. These are listed below.
   (Predefined Classes): following

   Number: Integer values, understands arithmetic operations like addition and subtraction.

   String: Finite sequences of characters, understands how to be concatenated, etc.

   Boolean: True or false, understands conjunction, disjunction, negation, etc.

   Compound: has many parts with "@" and "#" to access them.

   Null: has no knowledge or know how except how to accept data and methods.

   Note: all objects know how to add data and methods to derive new objects with new behaviors. They also know how to output themselves. Predefined methods are listed later.

9. number::=O(sign) N(digit).

    		42

    		-1

    		+41

10. string::=quotes #(char ~ quotes) quotes.

     		"hello world"

11. Boolean::= "true" | "false".
12. null::= "new".

13. symbolic_id::=N(symbolic_character) | symbol.
14. symbolic_character::="+" | "-" | "*" | "/" | "=" |"<" | ">" | "!" | "%" | "^" | backslash | "&" | "?".

15. string::= quotes #(char~quotes) quotes.

    Classes and Programs

16. class_definition::= class_id "=" "{" #(method | data_field) "}".

    	Widgets={type=""; setType{type=$@1;}};

17. class_id::=identifier.

     	Widget

    A class is a list of new data and methods that can be added to an existing object. Al objects know how to extend themselves with new methods and data. So

     	new Widget

    creates a null object and adds an item of data (type) and a method to change it.

    A class is a collection of such methods and data fields. Here is a single an example with one data field and one method:

    	{type=""; setType {type=$@1; } };

18. method::= message program.

     	count{ n=n+1;}

     	setType{type=$@1;}

19. message::=identifier.

20. data_field::= variable "=" initial_value semicolon.

     	type="";

     	count=1;

21. initial_value::=expression.

    Programs

22. program::= "{" scenario # extension "}".

    Here is a simple one scenario program describing a simple calculation

     	{delta = b*b - 4 * a * c; }

    Here is another

     	{tmp=a; a=b; b=tmp; }

    A scenario is, in general, a sequence of commands and methods. A program has many scenarios that are tried in turn. The later scenarios are called extensions -- see below.

    Here is a three scenario program which is part of solving a quadratic equation. It has a main scenario and two extensions.

    	{delta==0; equalRoots; | delta>0; realRoots;  | delta<0; complexRoots;  };

23. extension::= vertical_bar scenario.

    A program executes a series of scenarios until one of them completes. A scenario can fail if an expression produces "false" as a final result or if all sub-scenarios fail.

    If a scenario fails then the following "extension" is tried in turn.

24. scenario::= #(command | method) O(value | repeat | empty).
25. value::=expression.
26. repeat::="repeat".
27. empty::="".
28. command::=O(labeled) expression semicolon.

     	x=1+2;

29. labeled::= variable "=".

    Control Structures

    SOOP does not need special control structures like if-then-else and while. A programer can use the above "program" structure to express them.

    
    (while_loop): { condition; body; repeat | }
    (if_then_else_selection): { condition; ifTrue; | ifFalse; }
    (for_loop): { index=first; {condition; body; index=next; repeat | }; }

    Expressions

30. expression::=O(object) #(message O(parameter) | program).

     	new

     	n*3+1

     	n odd

     	(3,4,1,2)@2

     	x>0

     	aStudent drops( aClass )

    If the first object is omitted then the object 'this' is assumed as the default. This has the effect of (1) allowing subprogram calls inside a class, (2) treating data items in an object as variables.

    Objects

31. object::=variable | constant | this | formal_parameter | compound.
32. this::= "this".
33. formal_parameter::="$" .

    Methods and Messages

    Methods in SOOP have a single formal parameter that is symbolized by a dollar sign. However, the actual parameter is nearly always a compound object. Often they are lists and so strings like "$@1" refer to the first object in the parameter.
34. compound::= list | program. Compound objects have an at and an number method.
35. at::= "@". This method selects parts of the compound.

     	(2,3,4)@1 == 2

     	{a=1; b=2;}@a == 1

    
    Table

    i	c@i
    i>0	i'th part of c
    i==0	the whole of c
    i<0	all parts of c without the i'th part

    
    (Close Table)
    

     	(2,3,4)@1 == 2

     	(2,3,4)@0 == (2,3,4)

     	(2,3,4)@(-1) == (2,3)

36. number::= "#".

     	(2,3,4)# == 3

37. parameter::=object.

38. list::="(" L(command)")".

39. message::=identifier|operator.

    Extended Examples

    Here is an object that knows how to count things:

     	theCount= new { value=0; counts{value=value+1;}; get{value}; }

    and here is how it might be used

    	theCount counts;

     	theCount counts;

     	theCount get;

    The last action returns the number 2.

    The following is an object designed to handle loops that count down to zero

     	countDown= new { value=0; from(value=$@1;); loop{value=value-1; value -1>-1}; }

    It is used like this

     	counDown.set(20); { counDown.loop ; ... ; repeat }

    The following creates a new object with two data items and two methods:

    	widget= new {knobs=0; name=""; addKnob{knobs=knobs+1;}; setID{name=$@1;}};

    The following applies the methods to the object.

    	widget addKnob; widget setID ("ax123c");

    	wodget= widget{type=""; setType{type=$@1;}};

    Extends the widget object by adding a type attribute and an operation to operate on it.

    Conditions and loops

     	Hailstone={n==1; | n even; n=n/2; repeat| n=n*3+1; repeat}

     	sum={s=0; n=1; { n<=$@#; s=s+$@n; repeat }; s}

     	{d>0; d=d-a;  | d=d+b; }

     	{n>0; n=n-1; oneStep; repeat}

     	Bresenham={a=?;b=?; d=?; n=?;

     		{n>0;  n=n-1;

     			{d>0; d=d-a; diagonal;

     			| d=d+b; axis;

    			}

     		 repeat

     		}

     	}

    An incomplete class for handling fractions like 1/2 and 37/48:

     Fraction={numerator=0; denominator=1;

     	setNumerator{numerator=$;};

     	setDenominator{denominator=$;};

     	set{numerator=$@1;denominator=$@2;};

     	*{new Fraction set (numerator * $@numerator, denominator * $@denominator)};

     	. . .

     }

. . . . . . . . . ( end of section Syntax) <<Contents | End>>

Predefined Messages

Table

Symbol	Meaning	Class	Parameter	Produces
+	addition	Number	Number	Number
+	concatenation	String	Number	Number
-	subtraction	Number	Number	Number
*	multiplication	Number	Number	Number
/	division	Number	Number	Number
odd	parity	Number	-	Boolean
even	parity	Number	-	Boolean
^	conjunction	Boolean	Boolean	Boolean
\/	disjunction	Boolean	Boolean	Boolean
'	negation	Boolean	Boolean	Boolean
!	output	Number, String, Boolean,
==	equality	All	same	Boolean
<>	inequality	All	same	Boolean
<	less than	All	same	Boolean
>	less than	All	same	Boolean
#	number parts in	Compound	-	Number
@	part	Compound	Number	any
. . .


(Close Table)


Semantics