How to use Wenyan: install the CLI and run your first program

Try Wenyan in the browser without installing anything

The fastest way to start is the Online IDE at ide.wy-lang.org, which the README describes as a way to try small programs in the browser. You do not need to install anything to use it.

The project homepage is wy-lang.org, which links to the IDE and project resources.

Install the Wenyan command line compiler

Wenyan's command line compiler is distributed as the @wenyan/cli package. The README gives one install command. You need Node.js installed, since the install uses npm. The README does not state a required Node.js version, so use a current LTS release of Node.js and check the project's repository if the install fails.

• Prerequisite: Node.js with npm available on your terminal
• Install command from the README: npm install -g @wenyan/cli

Run the included example program

After installing, the README suggests running one of the included examples. Pass a .wy file to the wenyan command. The README says this example prints the line shown in the comment.

The examples folder in the repository contains more programs, including the Sieve of Eratosthenes, Quicksort, a Mandelbrot set and the Tower of Hanoi.

• Run the example: wenyan examples/helloworld.wy
• Expected output according to the README: 問天地好在。

Understand the syntax basics

The README's Hello World program declares a number with 吾有一數。曰三。名之曰「甲」。, runs a loop with 為是「甲」遍。 and prints text with 書之。. It is equivalent to a short JavaScript loop that prints the same phrase three times.

Punctuation and newlines are optional, as in Classical Chinese. The README shows the same program written as one unbroken line, so the syntax is more flexible than typical code. The Syntax Cheatsheet on the project wiki lists the full grammar.

• Variables are declared with 吾有一數 (number) or 吾有一言 (text), then named with 名之曰
• Loops use the form 為是 ... 遍
• Output uses 書之

Compile to JavaScript, Python or Ruby

The README says Wenyan compiles to JavaScript, Python, or Ruby. The README's example shows the JavaScript equivalent of its Hello World program, which is useful for seeing how the Wenyan code maps to ordinary code.

The README does not describe the exact compiler flags for choosing a target, so check the Compiler API and Syntax pages on the wiki for those details.

Find documentation, packages and editor plugins

The README links to a Wiki with a Syntax Cheatsheet, a Standard Library Cheatsheet, a list of library packages and a Known Issues page. Wenyan also has a package manager called wyg (文淵閣) and a list of community packages, but the README does not detail how they work.

For editing, the README lists plugins for VSCode, Vim and Sublime Text.

• Syntax Cheatsheet and Standard Library Cheatsheet on the project wiki
• Plugins: VSCode, Vim and Sublime Text
• Decompiler: wenyanizer, which translates JavaScript to Wenyan