Builtins in ArkScript

Those are C++ functions, using the ArkScript virtual machine API to communicate with it. They can be used as any other function in ArkScript code.

Basic template of a builtin#

#include <Ark/VM/VM.hpp>
#include <Ark/VM/Value.hpp>

Ark::Value myBuiltin(std::vector<Ark::Value>& parameters, Ark::VM* vm)
{
    return Ark::Nil;
}

Inside the VM, they are all prefixed by builtin__, and then remapped in their corresponding category in the standard library.
Eg builtin__list:sort will have a definition inside std/List.ark as (let sort (fun (_L) (builtin__list:sort _L))).

See the tutorial on embedding for more details on how to use them.

Builtins category#

We currently have a few categories for our builtins:

• IO, prefixed by io: in ArkScript
• List, prefixed by list: in ArkScript
• Mathematics, prefixed by math: in ArkScript
• String, prefixed by string: in ArkScript
• System, prefixed by sys: in ArkScript
• Time, prefixed by nothing in ArkScript

Adding a builtin#

1. You need to identify the category it belongs to
2. Then add its prototype in include/Ark/Builtins/Builtins.hpp under the right namespace
3. Add it to the builtins list in src/arkreactor/Builtins/Builtins.cpp, as follows: { "builtin__<name>", Value(category::functionName) }
4. The implementation will have to be done in src/arkreactor/Builtins/{category}.cpp
5. Add a proxy inside lib/std/{category}.ark as (let <name> (fun (args...) (builtin__<name> args...)))
6. Don’t forget to document the new function in the standard library, using ArkDoc