Veny Language Specification (v0.5.1)

Overview

Veny is a statically typed, object-oriented programming language designed for clarity, brevity, and efficient compilation to Java. It draws inspiration from languages like Kotlin, Python, and Go, while staying grounded in strong static typing.

Syntax and Structure

1. Packages and Files

Each file must declare a package:

package myapp.utils

2. Class Declaration

class Greeter {
    val name: Text = "Alice"

    greet(): void {
        Console.print("Hello, " + name)
    }
}

val denotes an immutable field.
var denotes a mutable field.

3. Method Declarations

Methods are defined within classes.
Syntax:

add(x: Int, y: Int): Int {
    return x + y
}

4. Entry Point

class App {
    entry(args: [Text]): void {
        Console.print("Welcome to Veny")
    }
}

The entry method is the program’s starting point.
args is a list of text arguments passed from the CLI.

Types

Built-in Types: Int, Float, Bool, Text, Void
Array Types: [Int], [Float], etc.
Type Inference: Allowed (not implemented at the moment) where context is enough:

val name = "Veny"  // type inferred as Text

Statements and Expressions

Variable declarations:

val radius: Float = 5.0
var active: Bool = true

Conditionals:

if active {
    Console.print("Running")
} else {
    Console.print("Stopped")
}

Loops:

while active {
    Console.print("Looping")
    break
}

for i in 1..10 {
    Console.print(i)
}

Arrays

Declared with [Type] syntax:

val numbers: [Int] = [1, 2, 3, 4]

Array literals support type inference:

val names = ["Alice", "Bob"]  // Inferred as [Text]

Standard Library (WIP)

Initial functions include:

Console.print(message: Text): void

Future expansions will include Math, Array and other utilities.

Concurrency (Future Work)

Planned support for fibers:

Fiber.run {
    // lightweight task
}

Tooling

Compiler: Generates Java code.
Execution: Built and run using GraalVM for native executables.

Project Structure

Compiler: veny-compiler
CLI: veny-cli
Stdlib: veny-stdlib (Java project, imported in generated code)

Version

v0.5.1
Entry point updated to entry(args: [Text])

Veny is developed by Stoyan Petkov and contributors.