ColaScript is a language that compiles in JavaScript. This language is similar to Dart, CoffeeScript, Python and PHP, with some original ideas. Compiler based on UglifyJS2. You can play with language here.

Installation

Firstly, make sure you have installed the latest version of node.js (You may need to restart your computer after this step).

From NPM for use as a command line app:

npm install cola-script -g

From NPM for programmatic use:

npm install cola-script

From Git:

git clone git://github.com/TrigenSoftware/ColaScript.git
cd ColaScript
npm link .

Use it same as in UglifyJS2, except:

-j, --js, --javascript        Work with JavaScript (by default Cola will
                              expect ColaScript).                    [boolean]
-n, --no-main-binding         Disable `main` binding.                [boolean]

Simple example of usage:

cola main.cola -o main.min.js -m -c    

In browser

In developing is more comfortable to compile the code directly in your browser, for this add browser-cola.js to your.html code:

<script src="path/to/browser-cola.js"></script>

Now you can run your Cola-Code:

<script type="text/colascript" src="path/to/your.cola"></script>

If your.cola depends on other scripts in your.html,it's better to notice browser-cola about it:

<script type="text/colascript" src="angular.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/colascript" src="path/to/your.cola"></script>

Overview

Need to know

• not always valid-javascript is valid-colascript
• semicolon is always required
• in present time typing is just syntax

Variables

You can set any type which you want in current version , to tell you the truth it's not so good. In future we will have static typing.

var num = 1;           // valid JavaScript
int i, j = 3;
String str = `someString`; // yes, you can use ` quotes

In ColaScript, like in CoffeScript, exists boolean-aliases:

yes == on == true;
no == off == false;	

Strings

We have templating! We can paste variable in string:

console.log("my login in twitter \@@twLogin");

Also we can paste expression in this way:

console.log("length of my name @{ name.length }");

and this way:

console.log("first letter in my name is {{ name[0] }}");

It is still possible to use raw strings:

console.log(r"\n\r\t@raw");

Any string in ColaScript is multiline:

console.log("

	List1:
		- Write code
		- Drink tea
		- Watch Instagram
		
	List2
		* Write code
		* Read Habrahabr
		* Listen music
		
	");

align goes by closing-quote.

RegExps

Modifer x skips whitespaces and new-line same as if you use multiline RegExp:

RegExp url = /
	^
		(https?:\/\/)?
		([\w\.]+)
		\.([a-z]{2,6}\.?)
		(\/[\w\.]*)*\/?
	$/;

Arrays

Most of array features were taken from CoffeeScript:

Array arr = [0..9];      // [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
// same as
Array arr = [0...10];

arr[0..2] = [584, 404];  // [584, 404, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
console.log(arr[0..2]);  // [584, 404, 3]

one feature was taken from PHP:

arr[] = 22;              // [584, 404, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 22]

absolutely new feature is:

console.log(arr[]);      // 22 

Functions

You have opportunity to declarate functions without function keyword, with type and without it:

function f1(){

}

void f2(){

}

f3(){

}

From Dart we have borrowed arrow-functions:

helloString(name) => "Hello @name!";

Arguments have positional or named types and can have default value:

hello(String name:) => console.log("Hello @name!");
hello(name: 'dangreen');                             // Hello dangreen!
	
hello(name: "World") => console.log("Hello @name!");
hello();                                             // Hello World!

// or

hello(String name = "World") => console.log("Hello @name!");
hello('dangreen');                                   // Hello dangreen!
hello();                                             // Hello World!

As in CoffeScript we can declare splated argument

info(name, skills...){
	console.log("My name is @name, my skills:");
	skills.forEach((skill) => console.log("@skill,"));
}

All main functions in root namespace will bind on DOMContentLoaded event:

// lib.cola
	
main(){
	console.log('Hello World from lib.cola!');
}

// main.cola
	
@require "lib.cola";
	
main(){
	console.log('Hello World!');
}

Operators

• isset operator:

    bool a = true, b;
    console.log(isset a ? "seted" : "not seted"); // seted
    console.log(isset b ? "seted" : "not seted"); // not seted
  

• clone of variable:

    Array a = [], b = clone a;
    b[0] = 584; // a == []
  

  if object have method __clone__, object will be copied with it.

• Math.pow operator:

    int pow = 5 ** 2; // 25
  

• CoffeeScript's modulo operator:

    Array nums = [0..9];
    console.log(nums[4 %% nums.length]);  // 4
    console.log(nums[14 %% nums.length]); // 4
  

• Existential assignment from CoffeeScript:

    defaults(Object input, Object defaults){
    	for(int key in defaults) input[key] ?= defaults[key];
    	return input;
    }
  
    console.log(defaults({ 
    	compress: true 
    }, { 
    	compress: false, 
    	mangle: false
    })); // { compress: true, mangle: false }
  

• Existential operator:

    int a, b = 3;
  
    console.log(a ? b); // 3
    a = 11;
    console.log(a ? b); // 11
  

• Binary operator is:

    bool isRegExp = /[^\d]+/g is RegExp; // true
  

• Binary operator isnt:

    bool isntString = 3.14 isnt String; // true
  

Constructions

In ColaScript you can use those syntax with object, in way not to repeat var names:

String name = "dangreen";
int age = 19;
String about = "

Web programmer, NSTU student.

";

Object info = { name, age, about };

Also you can use destructuring assignment:

int a = 2, b = 3;
	
// swap
[a, b] = [b, a];
	
// with object
{ name, age, about, friends : [firstFriend] } = info;

// with array
[firstSkill, ..., lastSkill] = skills; 

From Dart we have taken cascade operator:

document.querySelector("#myelement").style
	..fontSize = "16px"
	..color   =  "black";

but we have made some modification:

document.querySelector("#myelement")
	..style:
		..fontSize = "16px"
		..color   =  "black";
	..innerHTML = "Hello World!";

As in CoffeeScript, you can use chained comprassions:

if( 1 < x < 100 ) console.log("x E ( 1 ; 100 )");

inline conditions:

String name = 
	if (sex == "male") "Dan" 
	else if (sex == "female") "Dasha" 
	else "none";

inline switch and switch without expression:

String grade = switch {
	when score < 60: 'F';
	when score < 70: 'D';
	when score < 80: 'C';
	when score < 90: 'B';
	default: 'A';
};

As you see, you can use keyword when, it's like case, but if the condition is satisfied, switch will break.

Compiler commands

• @require, pushed required code to front

    @require "./library/jquery.js" "./library/underscore.js" 
  

• @include, insert included code on @include place

    @include "./app/my.js"
  

• @use, enable one of mods

    @use strict
    @use asm
    @use closure
  

  @use closure wrapping code in closure:

    // cola
  
    @use closure
  
    NgModule app = angular.module('app', []);
  
    // js
  
    (function(){
    	var app = angular.module('app', []);
    })(); 
  

  Also you can use multiple closures in one file:

    @use closure {
    	int a = 123;
    }
  
    @use closure {
    	int a = 321;
    }
  

Future plans

• Use inline isset expression instead function. status: done

• some is NaN to isNaN(some) status: done

• operator ? instead isset, fix the operator with function call

• operator ?.

• operator ? to sign an argument as not-required

    int sqr(int x) => x ** 2;
  
    sqr(2); // 4
    sqr();  // Exception
  
    int sqrt(int x?) => x ** 2;
    sqr();  // NaN
  

• Negate array accessor ( getter )

    arr[-1]; // last element
  

  only for static negate index, for other cases you can use % unary prefix:

    int index = -10;
    arr[%index] = 34; // arr[index %% arr.length];
  

• static typing

• declaration function by object's property

    String String::replaceAll(a, b){
    	String res = this;
    	while(res.indexOf(a) != -1) res = res.replace(a, b);
    	return res;
    }
  
    // or
  
    Object data = someData;
    int data.getFriendsCount() => this.friends.length;
  

• intarface

    inerface UserProfile {
    	String name, email;					
    	Date birth;
    	String info?;
    }
  

• classes

    class A {
  
        private int a = 123;
    	protected var o = {};
  
    	readonly String about = "class";
  
    	A(a){
    		about = "some else";
    	}
  
    	static Hello() => "hello!";
  
    	public String about() => about;
    }
  
    class B extends A {
  
    	B(){
    		parent();
    		about += "!";  
    	}
  
    	B.anotherConstructor(){
    		about = "ups!";  
    	}
  
    	get some => "some " + about;
    	set some(val) => about += val; 
    }
  

• classes and typing with templates

    class A<T> {
    	// ...
    }
  
    Array<int> arr = [0...10];
    Object<String, String> obj = { name: "Eric" };
  

• singletones

    singleton S { // in fact this is object
    	int x = 45;
    	String s = "txt";
  
    	say(some){
    		alert(some);
    	}
  
    	int operator[](int index) => index + 584;
    	operator[]=(int index, int val) => x = index + val;
  
    }
  

• injectors

    injector String {
    	String replaceAll(a, b){
    		String res = this;
    		while(res.indexOf(a) != -1) res = res.replace(a, b);
    		return res;
    	}
    }
  

• destructed function arguments

    test({String name, String login, String photoUrl}){
    	console.log(name, login, photoUrl);
    }
  

• ES6 for

    for({String name, String login, String photoUrl} in usesr){
  
    }
  
    for(name of names){
  
    }
  

• Compiler command @import to import modules ( AMD, CommonJS... )

    // node.js
    @import 'fs' as fs
    @import dirname from 'path'
  
    String code = fs.readFileSync(dirname(filePath) + "/main.cola", "utf8");
  

• set parameters to calling function

    $(".btn").on("click", *(){
    	this; // parent context
    });
  

• write documentation of tokenizer/parser methods

• more informative exceptions

• better source maps

• HTML and CSS stuff

    String width = 12px;
    String div = <div class="inline">
    	<h1>Example of Embedded HTML</h1>
    </div>;
  

  by default it will parsed as String, but it may be handled by Plugins.

• Plugin API to make native syntax for libraries and frameworks

    class MyComponent extends PolymerComponent {
    	String tagname = "my-component";
  
    	ready(){
    		// ...
    	}	
    }
  
    to 
  
    Polymer('my-component', {
  		ready: function(){ 
  			// ...
  		}
    });
  

• Compiler command @use plugin "path/to/plugin.cola"

• asm.js native syntax, for example

    // cola
    // ...
  
    @use asm
  
    int f(double j){
    	int i = 1;
    	return i;
    }
  
    // js
    // ...
  
    "use asm";
  
    function f(j){
    	j = +j;
    	var i = 1|0;
    	return i|0;
    }