Scarp glossary for new developers

This glossary explains common words in the v0.0.5-alpha.1 documentation. Scarp is still experimental: these descriptions explain the published interpreter, not a promise that future versions will behave identically.

Source file (.srp)

A UTF-8 text file containing Scarp code. Save a file such as hello.srp, then run it with the CLI. The file extension does not mean the program has been compiled into a native executable.

Interpreter

A program that reads and executes Scarp source. The current Scarp distribution is an interpreter implemented in Rust. See installation.

Token, lexer, and parser

A token is one meaningful piece of source text, such as a name, number, or operator. The lexer converts source text into tokens; the parser uses them to build the program structure. Run scarp tokens hello.srp to inspect the tokens. Tokenization alone does not validate a complete program.

Binding (bind) and variable (var)

A binding associates a name with a value. bind creates an immutable binding, while var allows reassignment.

bind language = "Scarp";
var visits = 1;
visits += 1;
print(language, visits);

See variables and scopes.

Type

A type describes what kind of value an operation expects: for example integer, float, string, or boolean. Scarp checks operations against its implemented types. See types and values.

Scope

The part of a program in which a name is visible. Braced blocks introduce lexical scopes. Refer to variables and scopes for examples.

Function (funcra)

A named block of reusable operations. Scarp's published function syntax uses funcra, with explicit parameter and return types. pure can be used for functions that meet the language's purity rules. See functions.

Control flow

Constructs that determine which code executes and how often, such as if, elif, else, while, and repeat. See control flow and the loop tutorial.

Module

A Scarp source file imported by another source file. Current modules are source-based; a package manager is not part of this prerelease. See modules.

Standard output and standard error

Two distinct process output streams. Scarp's output operations may write ordinary results to stdout or diagnostic output to stderr. See output streams.

CLI

The command-line interface is how you invoke the interpreter from a terminal. For example:

scarp --version
scarp check hello.srp
scarp run hello.srp

check and run have different purposes; read the CLI reference before using them in automation.

Runtime budget

An interpreter limit intended to bound some forms of work while a program runs. This is not a memory-safety or sandbox guarantee. See runtime budgets and source loading and security.

Fixture and conformance test

A fixture is a known input program paired with expected behavior, often including its stdout. A conformance test runs the program and compares actual behavior to that expectation. The verified examples and testing evidence explain how this documentation checks claims against compiler-owned programs.

Prerelease and compatibility

A prerelease is an early version whose behavior may change. Before following an example, run scarp --version and compare with the documented feature status and compatibility notes.

Continue with your first program or the language overview.