ante

Ante Project Introduction

Overview

Ante is a distinctive low-level functional programming language designed to explore the realms of refinement types, lifetime inference, and other innovative features. Ante seeks to balance readability with low-level control, allowing developers to write high-level code without the constraints of garbage collection or default value boxing. This enables fine-tuning for performance after the fact. Here’s a simple example in Ante:

foo (x: &shared mut Bar) (y: &a) : a can Fail given Clone a =
    if not valid x then fail ()
    baz x x
    clone y

In this snippet, Ante demonstrates its use of algebraic effects and traits, along with safe, aliasable mutable references, emphasizing both powerful capabilities and ease of understanding for developers.

Contributing to Ante

Ante is currently in its early stages, making it a fertile ground for contributions. Developers are encouraged to tackle known issues, suggest improvements, or help enrich the standard library. The Ante codebase is clearly organized, with each file opening with a module comment that explains its purpose and the algorithms it uses.

To contribute effectively:

• Begin by examining src/main.rs for a foundational understanding.
• Ensure your contributions pass the tests in the examples directory, which utilize the goldentests library.

For those interested in easy entry points, good first issues can be found here.

Community and Support

Interested parties can engage with the Ante community primarily via the official Discord server, which serves as the epicenter for discussions and development updates. There is also a subreddit at /r/ante, although it primarily functions as a space for language inquiries rather than ongoing updates.

Building Ante

Building Ante might require LLVM 17.0. If your system has this version installed, the build process is straightforward with cargo install --path .. Should you encounter compatibility issues, Ante can be built without the LLVM backend using cargo install --path . --no-default-features. Here's a quick guide based on operating system:

Linux and Mac

Utilize your package manager to install LLVM 17.0. If adjustments are needed, modify the inkwell version in Ante's Cargo.toml file, remembering to update the LLVM_SYS_<VERSION>_PREFIX environment variable. Should defaults fail, build LLVM from source via CMake or choose to run Ante using the Cranelift backend.

Nix

Ante is part of the unstable branch in the nixpkgs repository, providing straightforward commands for entering the development environment via nix-shell or nix develop, with full build support using nix build or nix-build.

Windows

Building LLVM on Windows can be challenging, so using Ante without the LLVM backend is recommended. For those opting to compile from source, follow LLVM’s CMake instructions, ensuring you have Visual Studio 2017 or later.

CMake

When default routes to build LLVM fail, try the step-by-step CMake process. Install additional components like the Windows SDK if needed, using the Visual Studio Installer, and refer to the cmake documentation for detailed guidance.

Ante stands as a promising project for those interested in functional programming languages that offer a nuanced mix of high-level abstraction and detailed control, particularly suited for developers eager to delve into compiler construction and language development.