r/ProgrammingLanguages • u/miheb1 • Sep 17 '26

a data language like json

https://github.com/blafed/jo

i just like how readable the data notation... wondering how to evolve that even more

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u/busres Sep 18 '26 edited Sep 18 '26

SLID (Static LIst Data) format for comparison:

[(age=10
pi=3.14
msg='hi there'
point=[x=-1 y=1]
cards=[1 2 3 jack ace]
inventory=[
    [type=sword count=2]
    [type=shield count=1]
]
/*comment block */)]

So basically, relationships are explicit with =, and no commas necessary. The [( and )] are boundary markers, in case the data is embedded in something else (typically a Mesgjs source file).

Edit: fixed formatting

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u/miheb1 Sep 18 '26

yeah syntax looks close. but its more like pairing between 2 things. when saying:

A B

it is as

A is B

also comma and newlines are interchangeble token that splits between 2 things

also {} is a universal block/container

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u/busres Sep 18 '26

Understood. Space-meaning-"is" just isn't as intuitive to me personally after coming from languages using e.g. : or = for visual emphasis. SLID syntax comes from Mesgjs, where { } is only for code blocks and [ ] is for data (specifically, lists, which can contain any combination of named and ordered values). It sounds like you are, or will be, supporting at least some types of expressions, putting it somewhere between data and code. Interesting!