ApeScript - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

ApeScript is an interpreted

Interpreter (computing)

In computer science, an interpreter normally means a computer program that executes, i.e. performs, instructions written in a programming language...

procedural

Procedural programming

Procedural programming can sometimes be used as a synonym for imperative programming , but can also refer to a programming paradigm, derived from structured programming, based upon the concept of the procedure call...

dynamic-typed language. It was developed for the Noble Ape

Noble Ape

Noble Ape is an artificial life development project launched in June, 1996 by Tom Barbalet. It was designed to be a forum for a diversity of contributors to work towards a coherent cognitive simulation development environment.-The Simulation:...

Simulation through mid-2005 by Tom Barbalet

Tom Barbalet

Tom Barbalet is the creator of Noble Ape, editor of Biota.org and co-chair of the IGDA Intellectual Property Rights SIG.Born in 1976 in Adelaide, South Australia, Barbalet developed a series of interpreters, compilers, anti-viral programs and the Schmuck Quest series of graphics/text adventure...

. ApeScript was designed with the following specifications;

simple language,
stable memory footprint,
minimal crashes, and,
small code size.

ApeScript is defined in the Noble Ape Simulation manual.

Additional ApeScript tutorials are on the Noble Ape site.

Example

Some example ApeScript from the tutorials includes;

function ( actual_one ){

   run ( actual_two );

   number_a = number_a + 26;

}



function ( actual_two ){

   number_a = number_b * 234;

}



function ( actual_three ){

   number_a = number_b - 10;

   number_a = number_a * 21;

   number_a = number_a + 127;

}



function ( actual_four ){

   run ( actual_one);

   number_a = number_a * 20;

}



function ( direct_one ){ run ( actual_one ); }

function ( direct_two ){ run ( actual_two ); }

function ( direct_three ){ run ( actual_three ); }

function ( direct_four ){ run ( actual_four ); }



function ( being ){



   number_b = time;



   which_function = time & 3;

   offset_function = direct_two - direct_one;

   which_function = which_function * offset_function;

   which_function = which_function + direct_one;



   run( which_function );

   number_result = number_a;

}

Debug

ApeScript also has the option of debug output. This shows the values and the variables in a single cycle run of ApeScript. The above example produced the following debug output;

function( being ){

   number_b = 942 ;

   which_function = 2 ;

   offset_function = 15 ;

   which_function = 30 ;

   which_function = 151 ;

   run( which_function ){

      run( actual_three ){

         number_a = 932 ;

         number_a = 19572 ;

         number_a = 19699 ;

         }

      }

      number_result = 19699 ;

   }

Through the latter part of 2005, Tom Barbalet

Tom Barbalet

continued to develop ApeScript as modular code that could be removed and easily ported to other applications.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.