eliasdejong/plox

plox is a Python implementation of a programming language called Lox. The Lox language comes from a free online book called "Crafting Interpreters" by Bob Nystrom. The book teaches readers how programming languages work under the hood, walking through the process of building a compiler and interpreter. It is split into two parts. The first part covers building a compiler in Java, and the second part covers building one in C. The plox project translates the work from the first part of the book into Python instead of Java. An interpreter is a program that reads code written in a custom language and executes it directly. The plox interpreter reads files written in the Lox language, processes the text, and runs the instructions. To use it, you download the repository to your computer, open a terminal in that folder, and run a command that points to a Lox program file. The project includes a feature that watches your file for changes and re-runs the program automatically each time you save it, which is useful while writing and testing code. The language supports several core features found in most programming languages. You can work with basic data types like integers, numbers with decimals, text, true or false values, and an empty value called null. The language also lets you create variables, perform math operations, compare values, and use logic operators. Control flow is available through if statements, while loops, and for loops, allowing a program to make decisions and repeat actions. There are limits to what this version of the language can do. It does not support functions, classes, multi-line comments, or a shorthand way of writing if statements called a ternary operator. It also lacks built-in tools for checking the time or pausing the program. These limits exist because the project is an educational exercise focused on the basics of how a language reads and runs code, rather than a complete tool for production work. The repository includes an example program that calculates and prints Fibonacci numbers up to ten thousand. This demonstrates how variables, loops, and printing text work together in a simple Lox program.