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Show HN: Fuse – statically typed functional programming language
2 months ago
- Fuse is a statically typed, purely functional language with higher-kinded types and ad-hoc polymorphism.
- It compiles to the GRIN whole-program optimizer, producing LLVM-generated native code.
- Features: statically typed (based on System F with higher-order polymorphism, algebraic data types, generics, traits).
- Purely functional: every function is pure, supports pattern matching, higher-order functions, and do notation.
- Type inference: bidirectional type checking, only function type signatures required.
- Clean syntax: inspired by Rust, Python, Scala, and Haskell, using indentation-based blocks and lambda expressions.
- Compiles to GRIN: whole-program optimization and LLVM code generation for fast, small native binaries.
- Installation: use curl command on Linux (x86_64) or macOS (ARM64).
Why Fortran Is Still Used
2 months ago
- Fortran is specialized for high-performance computing and remains relevant due to its performance-centric culture.
- It is easier to use than C/C++ for scientific computing, with native support for multidimensional arrays and complex numbers.
- Fortran guarantees code longevity and backward compatibility, allowing decades-old code to still compile and run.
- Coarrays introduced in Fortran 2008 provide intrinsic distributed-memory parallelism, simplifying parallel code development.
- Fortran continues to evolve with active standardization and community efforts, such as Fortran-lang.org and LFortran.
Beating the Averages
2 months ago
- Viaweb was a pioneering Web-based application, launched in 1995, that allowed users to build online stores via a server-based interface.
- The software was uniquely written in Lisp, a language not typically used for commercial applications at the time, giving Viaweb a competitive edge.
- Using Lisp enabled rapid development and advanced features, allowing Viaweb to outpace competitors, who often relied on languages like C++ or Perl.
- The 'Blub paradox' explains why programmers often stick with familiar languages, blinding them to the superiority of more powerful languages like Lisp.
- Lisp's power stems from features like macros, which allow programs to manipulate code, leading to capabilities hard to replicate in other languages.
- Startups benefit from using technologies like Lisp that competitors underestimate, turning the slow adoption of new languages into a strategic advantage.
Zig In-Depth Overview
2 months ago
- Zig is a small, simple language with no hidden control flow, no hidden memory allocations, no preprocessor, and no macros.
- It offers four build modes (Debug, ReleaseSafe, ReleaseFast, ReleaseSmall) that can be mixed at scope granularity for performance and safety.
- Zig is faster than C due to whole compilation unit optimization, careful illegal behavior, SIMD vector types, and advanced CPU features enabled by default.
- The standard library integrates with libc but does not depend on it; Zig can produce very small static executables (e.g., 9.8 KiB for Linux).
- Zig uses optional types instead of null pointers, requiring explicit handling of null with `orelse` or `if`/`while`.
- Memory management is manual; all allocation functions accept an allocator parameter, and `defer`/`errdefer` simplify resource management.
- Errors are values that cannot be ignored, handled with `catch` or `try`, and can be exhaustively checked with `switch`.
- Zig supports compile-time code execution, reflection via `@typeInfo`, and generic data structures via functions returning types.
- C libraries can be directly imported with `@cImport` without bindings; Zig can also compile C code and export functions with the C ABI.
- Cross-compilation is a first-class feature; Zig ships libc for all supported targets, enabling cross-compilation without system files.
- Zig includes a build system and package manager with support for dependency fetching, system integration, and reproducible builds.
- Target support is tiered, and Zig is friendly to package maintainers with deterministic builds and JSON download pages.
Zig by Example
2 months ago
- Zig is a general-purpose programming language designed for robust, optimal, and reusable software.
- Official documentation is available for further learning.
- Zig by Example is a hands-on introduction using annotated example programs.
- The examples are written for version 0.16; check your version if something isn't working.
C3 0.8.2 a Modest Improvement
2 months ago
- C3 0.8.2 release includes language ergonomics improvements such as reusable target templates for libraries and generic constdef.
- New reflection capabilities for generics, allowing inspection of generic instantiations with methods like is_generic, generic_qname, and generic_args.
- Bitstruct members now have bitoffset and bitsize properties for detailed bit-level reflection.
- Additional @param options: own, init, and drop for parameter annotations to aid static analysis and documentation.
- Asm stack alignment is now opt-in using @align, fixing previous mismatches with C behavior.
- Windows subsystem can be set directly, with all subsystems available for applications like EFI.
- Standard library additions include Atomic.compare_exchange, array::contains_slice, log::register_dynamic_category, and improved String methods.
- Fixes address issues in stdlib (e.g., String.to_double, JSON serialization, IPv6 parsing) and compiler (e.g., $stringify, constdef, untypedlist handling).
- Contributions from the C3 community through PRs, issues, and discussions are acknowledged, with specific contributors listed.
Show HN: Salt – a systems language with Z3 theorem proving in the compiler
3 months ago
- Salt provides verified safety at compile time without runtime overhead using Z3-proven contracts.
- It uses arena allocation instead of garbage collection or a borrow checker, ensuring memory safety and preventing leaks.
- Salt achieves performance parity with clang -O3 across various benchmarks, including ML inference, kernels, networking, and rendering.
- The language features pipe operators for chaining, optional chaining for errors, and f-strings for type-safe formatting without allocation.
- Salt's package manager, sp, offers dependency verification, content-addressed caching, and monorepo support for fast, reliable builds.

programming language

Show HN: Fuse – statically typed functional programming language

Why Fortran Is Still Used

Beating the Averages

Zig In-Depth Overview

Zig by Example

C3 0.8.2 a Modest Improvement

Show HN: Salt – a systems language with Z3 theorem proving in the compiler