Perl 6 And Parrot Essentials

by Randal, Allison; Sugalski, Dan; Totsch, Leopold

• ISBN13: 9780596007379
• ISBN10: 059600737X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-06-30
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

This up-to-date progress report includes several eye- opening changes emerging from the rewrite of Perl. The biggest news is Parrot, the interpreter engine that will execute code written in the new Perl 6 language. Designed to be language independent, Parrot can be used to interpret other dynamic languages such as Python, Tcl, Ruby, and even Java. Perl 6 & Parrot Essentials also covers the most revolutionary change in the language itself-Apocalypse 12 on objects. Due for release in June 2004, this is the product of cutting-edge research in object-oriented languages and is guaranteed to be a hot topic. Written by members of the Perl 6 core development team, this new edition offers an unparalleled preview of a major new technology.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Project Overview	1	(8)
The Birth of Perl 6	1	(1)
In the Beginning...	2	(1)
The Continuing Mission	3	(6)
Project Development	9	(7)
Language Development	9	(2)
Parrot Development	11	(5)
Design Philosophy	16	(9)
Linguistic and Cognitive Considerations	16	(7)
Architectural Considerations	23	(2)
Basic Syntax	25	(33)
Variables	25	(8)
Operators	33	(15)
Control Structures	48	(10)
Subroutines	58	(16)
Using Subroutines	58	(1)
Parameters	59	(5)
Arguments	64	(2)
Subroutine Stubs	66	(1)
Subroutine Scope	66	(2)
Anonymous Subroutines	68	(1)
Multi Subroutines	68	(1)
Curried Subroutines	69	(1)
Wrapped Subroutines	70	(1)
Lvalue Subroutines	71	(1)
Macros	71	(3)
Objects	74	(13)
Using Objects	74	(1)
Classes	75	(4)
Roles	79	(3)
Delegation	82	(1)
Private and Public	83	(1)
Subroutines	84	(1)
Submethods	84	(1)
Multiple Dispatch	85	(2)
Grammars and Rules	87	(12)
Using Rules	87	(2)
Building Blocks	89	(5)
Modifiers	94	(2)
Built-in Rules	96	(1)
Backtracking Control	97	(1)
Hypothetical Variables	97	(2)
Parrot Internals	99	(26)
Core Design Principles	99	(1)
Parrot's Architecture	100	(5)
The Interpreter	105	(6)
I/O, Events, and Threads	111	(6)
Objects	117	(3)
Advanced Features	120	(4)
Conclusion	124	(1)
Parrot Assembly Language	125	(60)
Getting Started	125	(1)
Basics	126	(18)
Working with PMCs	144	(4)
Flow Control	148	(3)
Stacks and Register Frames	151	(4)
Lexicals and Globals	155	(4)
Subroutines	159	(9)
Exceptions and Exception Handlers	168	(1)
Events	169	(2)
Threads	171	(3)
Loading Bytecode	174	(1)
Classes and Objects	175	(7)
Writing Tests	182	(3)
Parrot Intermediate Representation	185	(18)
Statements	185	(1)
Variables and Constants	186	(4)
Symbol Operators	190	(1)
Labels	191	(1)
Flow Control	192	(2)
Subroutines	194	(7)
Methods	201	(2)
Parrot Reference	203	(60)
PASM Opcodes	203	(47)
PIR Directives	250	(4)
PIR Instructions	254	(4)
Parrot Command-Line Options	258	(5)
Index	263