learnxinyminutes-docs/nim.html.markdown
ajimu cae73192af [nim/en] Correct syntax highlighting
The language was changed to JavaScript in [this commit](f3b10beb01).
2016-03-23 13:50:24 -05:00

274 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown

---
language: Nim
filename: learnNim.nim
contributors:
- ["Jason J. Ayala P.", "http://JasonAyala.com"]
- ["Dennis Felsing", "http://felsin9.de/nnis/"]
---
Nim (formerly Nimrod) is a statically typed, imperative programming language
that gives the programmer power without compromises on runtime efficiency.
Nim is efficient, expressive, and elegant.
```nim
var # Declare (and assign) variables,
letter: char = 'n' # with or without type annotations
lang = "N" & "im"
nLength : int = len(lang)
boat: float
truth: bool = false
let # Use let to declare and bind variables *once*.
legs = 400 # legs is immutable.
arms = 2_000 # _ are ignored and are useful for long numbers.
aboutPi = 3.15
const # Constants are computed at compile time. This provides
debug = true # performance and is useful in compile time expressions.
compileBadCode = false
when compileBadCode: # `when` is a compile time `if`
legs = legs + 1 # This error will never be compiled.
const input = readline(stdin) # Const values must be known at compile time.
discard 1 > 2 # Note: The compiler will complain if the result of an expression
# is unused. `discard` bypasses this.
discard """
This can work as a multiline comment.
Or for unparsable, broken code
"""
#
# Data Structures
#
# Tuples
var
child: tuple[name: string, age: int] # Tuples have *both* field names
today: tuple[sun: string, temp: float] # *and* order.
child = (name: "Rudiger", age: 2) # Assign all at once with literal ()
today.sun = "Overcast" # or individual fields.
today.temp = 70.1
# Sequences
var
drinks: seq[string]
drinks = @["Water", "Juice", "Chocolate"] # @[V1,..,Vn] is the sequence literal
drinks.add("Milk")
if "Milk" in drinks:
echo "We have Milk and ", drinks.len - 1, " other drinks"
let myDrink = drinks[2]
#
# Defining Types
#
# Defining your own types puts the compiler to work for you. It's what makes
# static typing powerful and useful.
type
Name = string # A type alias gives you a new type that is interchangable
Age = int # with the old type but is more descriptive.
Person = tuple[name: Name, age: Age] # Define data structures too.
AnotherSyntax = tuple
fieldOne: string
secondField: int
var
john: Person = (name: "John B.", age: 17)
newage: int = 18 # It would be better to use Age than int
john.age = newage # But still works because int and Age are synonyms
type
Cash = distinct int # `distinct` makes a new type incompatible with its
Desc = distinct string # base type.
var
money: Cash = 100.Cash # `.Cash` converts the int to our type
description: Desc = "Interesting".Desc
when compileBadCode:
john.age = money # Error! age is of type int and money is Cash
john.name = description # Compiler says: "No way!"
#
# More Types and Data Structures
#
# Enumerations allow a type to have one of a limited number of values
type
Color = enum cRed, cBlue, cGreen
Direction = enum # Alternative formating
dNorth
dWest
dEast
dSouth
var
orient = dNorth # `orient` is of type Direction, with the value `dNorth`
pixel = cGreen # `pixel` is of type Color, with the value `cGreen`
discard dNorth > dEast # Enums are usually an "ordinal" type
# Subranges specify a limited valid range
type
DieFaces = range[1..20] # Only an int from 1 to 20 is a valid value
var
my_roll: DieFaces = 13
when compileBadCode:
my_roll = 23 # Error!
# Arrays
type
RollCounter = array[DieFaces, int] # Array's are fixed length and
DirNames = array[Direction, string] # indexed by any ordinal type.
Truths = array[42..44, bool]
var
counter: RollCounter
directions: DirNames
possible: Truths
possible = [false, false, false] # Literal arrays are created with [V1,..,Vn]
possible[42] = true
directions[dNorth] = "Ahh. The Great White North!"
directions[dWest] = "No, don't go there."
my_roll = 13
counter[my_roll] += 1
counter[my_roll] += 1
var anotherArray = ["Default index", "starts at", "0"]
# More data structures are available, including tables, sets, lists, queues,
# and crit bit trees.
# http://nim-lang.org/docs/lib.html#collections-and-algorithms
#
# IO and Control Flow
#
# `case`, `readLine()`
echo "Read any good books lately?"
case readLine(stdin)
of "no", "No":
echo "Go to your local library."
of "yes", "Yes":
echo "Carry on, then."
else:
echo "That's great; I assume."
# `while`, `if`, `continue`, `break`
import strutils as str # http://nim-lang.org/docs/strutils.html
echo "I'm thinking of a number between 41 and 43. Guess which!"
let number: int = 42
var
raw_guess: string
guess: int
while guess != number:
raw_guess = readLine(stdin)
if raw_guess == "": continue # Skip this iteration
guess = str.parseInt(raw_guess)
if guess == 1001:
echo("AAAAAAGGG!")
break
elif guess > number:
echo("Nope. Too high.")
elif guess < number:
echo(guess, " is too low")
else:
echo("Yeeeeeehaw!")
#
# Iteration
#
for i, elem in ["Yes", "No", "Maybe so"]: # Or just `for elem in`
echo(elem, " is at index: ", i)
for k, v in items(@[(person: "You", power: 100), (person: "Me", power: 9000)]):
echo v
let myString = """
an <example>
`string` to
play with
""" # Multiline raw string
for line in splitLines(myString):
echo(line)
for i, c in myString: # Index and letter. Or `for j in` for just letter
if i mod 2 == 0: continue # Compact `if` form
elif c == 'X': break
else: echo(c)
#
# Procedures
#
type Answer = enum aYes, aNo
proc ask(question: string): Answer =
echo(question, " (y/n)")
while true:
case readLine(stdin)
of "y", "Y", "yes", "Yes":
return Answer.aYes # Enums can be qualified
of "n", "N", "no", "No":
return Answer.aNo
else: echo("Please be clear: yes or no")
proc addSugar(amount: int = 2) = # Default amount is 2, returns nothing
assert(amount > 0 and amount < 9000, "Crazy Sugar")
for a in 1..amount:
echo(a, " sugar...")
case ask("Would you like sugar in your tea?")
of aYes:
addSugar(3)
of aNo:
echo "Oh do take a little!"
addSugar()
# No need for an `else` here. Only `yes` and `no` are possible.
#
# FFI
#
# Because Nim compiles to C, FFI is easy:
proc strcmp(a, b: cstring): cint {.importc: "strcmp", nodecl.}
let cmp = strcmp("C?", "Easy!")
```
Additionally, Nim separates itself from its peers with metaprogramming,
performance, and compile-time features.
## Further Reading
* [Home Page](http://nim-lang.org)
* [Download](http://nim-lang.org/download.html)
* [Community](http://nim-lang.org/community.html)
* [FAQ](http://nim-lang.org/question.html)
* [Documentation](http://nim-lang.org/documentation.html)
* [Manual](http://nim-lang.org/docs/manual.html)
* [Standard Library](http://nim-lang.org/docs/lib.html)
* [Rosetta Code](http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Category:Nim)