Io Language

Io is a prototype-based programming langauge. It was created in 2002 by Steve Dekorte.

Io is known for its flexibility and simple syntax.

In Io everything is an object.

The Io code is traversable as a data structure

it's homoiconic like Lisp, but doesn't need support for macros because of the way messages are handled

In addition to normal slots, objects have a slot called Protos, which stores a List (an array) containing all of the prototypes the objects inherit state and behaviors from. Because this is a list, Io supports multiple inheritance, and the "prototypal inheritance chain" is actually not a chain, but a tree.

the global namespace of Io's execution environment is the Lobby object, which has Object in its prototype chain. The Lobby is the default target for messages when none are explicitly specified

Install Io Language

brew install io

Getting Started with Io Language

io
Io> "Hello World" println

Objects in Io Language

Io objects are made of slots and prototypes. Slots are stored in a hash table and represent both the data and the methods of the object. Prototypes are stored in a list and are the ancestors of the object

When an object is cloned, a new object is created with an empty slots hash table and a prototypes list containing only the target of the clone message. The clone only stores the difference with its original - differential inheritance.

In Io is there just one interface (send a message). If the slot identified by the message send is activatable (a method), then it is activated, otherwise it is just returned.

Messages in Io Language

when a message is sent to an object, its name is used to query the slots hash table of the object. If no slot is found, the operation is repeated for each prototype in the prototypes list. When a matching slot is found, it is activated. If no slot is found, the forward slot is activated. If no forward slot is found, then you get an error.

Prototypes in Io Language

Io doesn't have classes. It uses prototypes instead. Prototypes are objects that can be cloned to create new objects.

Object is the parent of all prototypes.

Person := Object clone
Person name := "Zaiste"

Objects in Io consists of slots which are key-value pairs of data. Slots can be access with slotNames.

Io> Person slotNames
==> list(type, name)

Create instances

Io> bunia := Person clone
Io> bunia name
==> "Zaiste"
Io> bunia slotNames
==> list()

If a slot is not found on the object, it looks for the slot in the parent object, and keeps checking until it gets to Object.

The := operator is used to set a new slot, whereas the = operator updates an existing slot. Both operators are actually methods on Object. := is parsed as setSlot and = is parsed as updateSlot.

Use upper-case names for prototypes acting as classes and lower-case names for prototypes acting as instances.

Object is a slot in the Protos slot of Lobby. Object is both a slot of a slot in the Lobby and an ancestor of Lobby.

Methods in Io Language

When invoked, a method creates a locals object, which is used to store all local variables. locals has the target of the method as the proto and the value of the self slot.

A method without arguments:

Person hello := method(
  "My name is #{name}" interpolate println
)

A method with arguments

Person calculate := method(arg1, arg2, ...body...)

Lists in Io Language

numbers := list(4, 7, 1, 3, 2, 5, 9, 6, 8)
numbers sort
numbers sum
numbers average
numbers map(* 10)
numbers select(x, x % 2 == 0)

Control Flow in Io Language

if(2 > 4, "true case", "false case")

for(idx, 1, 10, idx println)

idx := 1
while(idx <= 10,
  idx println
  idx = idx + 1
)

Dynamism in Io Language

Define your own control structure:

Object unless := method(cond, then, else, if(cond, else, then))

Arguments cond, then and else are eagerly evaluated. Here is a lazy alternative:

Object unless := method(if(call eval argAt(0) not, call eval argAt(1), call eval argAt(2)))

Io allows add and remove parents to an object, at runtime, using appendProto, prependProto and removeProto.

Init in Io Language

If the init slot is defined, it gets triggered just after the clone message:

Movie := Object clone Movie init := method(self cast := List clone)

self is required, otherwise the cast slot will be local to the method.

Person := Object clone do(
  name ::= nil

  greeting := method(
    "Hello I'm " .. name
  )
)

zaiste := Person clone setName("Zaiste") greeting

dummy := Person clone
dummy greeting := "Yo"
dummy greeting

Blocks in Io Language

Io> plus := block(a, b, a + b)
==> method(a, b, a + b)

Io> plus call(3, 5)
==> 8

Io> plus argumentNames
==> list("a", "b")

Io> plus code
==> block(a, b, a +(b))

Io> plus message name
==> a

Io> plus message next
==> +(b)

Io> plus message next name
==> +

Io> plus message next setName("-")
==> -(b)

Io> plus
==> method(a, b, a - b)

Io> plus call(2, 3)
==> -1

Serialization in Io Language

Many methods in Io respond to the serialized method which returns a string representation of the receiver of that message,

Ruby-like Syntax in Io Language

def := Object clone
def forward := method(
  method_name := call message name
  call message setName("method")
  call sender setSlot(method_name, resend)
)
class := Object clone
class forward := method(
  new_class := Object clone
  call sender setSlot(call message name, new_class)
  call message argsEvaluatedIn(new_class) first
)

class Person(
  def name(a,
    "My name is #{a}..." interpolate print
  )
)

# Reopen
Person do(
  newSlot("age", 12)

  def doSquad(...)
)

Concurrency in Io Language (Actors + Coroutines)

Prefixing a message with @ returns a future. Prefixing a message with @@ dispatches the message to execute on a separate thread.