#+OPTIONS: toc:nil

* Zongor's Universe Machine
:PROPERTIES:
:CUSTOM_ID: zongors-universe-machine
:END:

* Overview
  ZTL is a lightweight, portable programming language for permacomputing, game preservation, and indie game development.
  Built in **C99** for cross-platform compatibility (desktop, microcontrollers, and web via Emscripten).
  Designed for simplicity, performance, and creative exploration.
  It is inspired by [[https://wiki.xxiivv.com/site/uxn.html][uxn]], [[http://duskos.org/][Dusk OS]], [[https://lua.org][Lua]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisp_(programming_language)][Lisp]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(programming_language)][C]], and [[https://ziglang.org/][Zig]].

* Key Features

** Core Philosophy
  - Simple, portable, lightweight syntax inspired by C.
  - Targets permacomputing, game world preservation, rapid prototyping, and indie games.
  - No macros or object hierarchies—prioritizes clarity and explicit behavior.

** Engine & Tooling
  - Integrated 2D/3D rendering system:
    - Immediate-mode canvas-based 3D rendering with low-poly 5th–6th gen console aesthetics.
    - 2D overlays styled after ImGui.
    - [[https://www.libsdl.org/][SDL2]] backend for input, audio, and cross-platform compatibility.
  - Tree-walk interpreter + stack-based bytecode VM:
    - Compile bytecode to files for performance.
    - REPL with hot-code reloading for rapid iteration.
  - Emacs major mode included; Vim, VSCode, and Lite XL support planned.

** Language Design
  - Dynamically typed with optional type hints in function signatures.
  - Unified =real= type (=f64= by default) with =byte= for interop (u8, i32, f32, etc.).
  - 3D math primitives: =vec=, =mat=, =quat=, and more.
  - Strings with interpolation, =split=, =replace=, =trim=, etc.
  - Error handling:
    - Go-style explicit errors.
    - Null coalescing (=??=) and null checks (=?.=).
  - Lightweight coroutines with event-loop-driven multitasking.
  - FFI via C-defined "native functions" (examples provided in VM).

** Modularity & Ecosystem
  - Unified table type (like Lua) for lists, maps, and tuples.
  - Standard library: math, networking, 3D rendering, minimal GUI.
  - =use= keyword for modular code organization via file-based namespaces.

* Technical Details

** VM Architecture
   - Stack-based bytecode interpreter written in C99.
   - Portable to new systems, microcontrollers, and web via Emscripten.

** Memory Management
   - Reference counting for globally scoped objects.
   - =weak= keyword to avoid cyclical references.
   - Arena allocators for short-lived, scoped memory (e.g., function-local objects).

** Rendering & I/O
   - SDL2-based abstraction for input, audio, and rendering.
   - Immediate-mode 3D canvas with 2D overlay support.

* Planned Projects

1. **Code Editor with Terminal Emulator**
   - Built-in development tooling.
2. **3D Chat Room**
   - Multiplayer cube avatars navigating a shared low-poly world.

* Community & Collaboration

- Website: [[https://yourwebsite.org/permalang][https://alfrescocavern.com/ztl]]
- License: GPLv3
- Chat: Not yet

* Roadmap

- [ ] MVP: Core VM, REPL, and SDL2 integration.
- [ ] 3D rendering pipeline + ImGui-style GUI.
- [ ] Standard library and FFI examples.
- [ ] Emacs/Vim tooling + website launch.

* Motivation

ztl bridges retro-inspired creativity with modern portability for:
- Game jams (rapid prototyping + 3D engine).
- Indie games (5th/6th-gen aesthetics).
- Permacomputing (low-resource, sustainable code).
- Education (simple VM/language design).

* Contributing
  Contributions welcome! Join the community or submit PRs on GitHub/GitLab/yourrepo.