Recreation Programming Session - Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Host: Mr. Aan
• Focus: Low-effort language review
• Target Language: C3 Programming Language

Overview of C3 Programming Language

• Description: Simple, fast, safe, compiled.
• Goal: For developing maintainable software, not necessarily readable.
• Notable Features:
  • Module system (better than C)
  • Namespace support to avoid collisions (e.g., with Windows API)

Installation Guide

• Focused on Debian Linux for installation.
• Downloaded a tar file of C3.
• Noted a lack of dark mode on the website.

Initial Exploration of C3

• Executable identified as ELF (Executable and Linkable Format).
• Dependencies include libxml2 for XML parsing, possibly for MSVC integration.
• Initial tests included compiling an empty file and generating object files.

First Impressions

• C3 requires a main function and provides error messages for missing components.
• Compiling a simple "Hello, World!" program works but lacks syntax highlighting.

Language Features

• Function Definitions

  • Uses FN keyword, similar to C but adds a new keyword for functions.

• Control Structures

  • Supports if conditions and classical for loops.
  • Enumerations and switch cases are present.

• Error Handling

  • Errors handled using optionals, similar to a functional approach.

• Macros & Compile-Time Execution

  • Macros can be evaluated at compile time.
  • Allows for compile-time reflection and execution.

• Built-in Types

  • Built-in vector types with associated mathematical operations (e.g., swizzling).

Linking with External Libraries

• Successfully linked with C libraries, demonstrating ease of interoperability with C.
• Example with Raylib showed ability to create and manage windows and rendering.
  • Events must be handled properly in an event loop.

Game Development Example

• Attempted to implement a simple physics simulation.
• Implemented a bouncing object using vectors for position and velocity.
• Discussed generating random colors upon collision using HSV.
• Introduced methods for object randomization and scalability.

WebAssembly (WASM) Compatibility

• Explored potential for compiling to WASM but noted incomplete support.
• Attempted various commands but faced challenges in achieving a working module.

Conclusion

• C3 programming language shows promise with its features and ease of use, particularly for game development.
• Lacked some aspects like robust WASM support, which may improve with future updates.
• Overall rating: 8/10 - good language for practical programming.