Implementation

This section covers the implementation details of the Y programming language, focusing on code generation using Inkwell and LLVM. Each page provides comprehensive examples with conceptual explanations.

Sections

• Foundation Concepts - Core LLVM abstractions, type system mapping, and architectural principles
• Literals and Types - Implementation of primitive types, constants, and type conversions
• Variables and Memory - Memory allocation, variable storage, scope management, and mutability
• Operations - Binary operations, unary operations, comparisons, and type-specific behaviors
• Functions - Function declaration, parameters, calls, returns, and calling conventions
• Control Flow - If expressions, while loops, blocks, and advanced control constructs
• Data Structures - Arrays, structs, tuples, and complex data manipulation
• Advanced Constructs - Lambdas, closures, method calls, and advanced language features
• Complete Examples - Full program examples demonstrating real-world usage patterns

Overview

Y Lang is implemented using Rust and leverages LLVM for code generation through the Inkwell library. The implementation follows a traditional compiler pipeline:

1. Lexing - Tokenizing source code using pattern matching and regex
2. Parsing - Building an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) with grammar-driven development
3. Type Checking - Two-phase semantic analysis with dependency resolution
4. Code Generation - Converting typed AST to LLVM IR using Inkwell

Design Philosophy

The code generation focuses on:

• Clarity over Performance: Readable LLVM IR generation that can be optimized later
• Type Safety: Leveraging LLVM's type system to catch errors early
• Debugging Support: Generating meaningful names and structured IR
• Extensibility: Patterns that can accommodate future language features

Reading This Documentation

Each section builds upon previous concepts:

• Start with Foundation Concepts to understand LLVM basics
• Progress through the sections in order for comprehensive understanding
• Reference Complete Examples to see how concepts combine
• Use individual sections as reference material for specific constructs

The examples focus on the "why" behind implementation decisions, not just the "how".