marple-lang 0.3.6

Mini APL in Python Language Experiment. Uses numpy arrays with Python list fallback.

marple

Mini APL in Python Language Experiment. A first-generation APL interpreter with the rank operator, namespaces, and Python FFI. Uses APL arrays (shape + flat data) as the internal data model. Inspired by Rodrigo Girão Serrão's RGSPL and Iverson's Dictionary of APL.

Documentation

More extensive documentation is available here

Features

• 40+ primitive functions — arithmetic, comparison, boolean, structural, circular/trig, match/tally, membership
• Operators — reduce (/), scan (\), inner product (f.g), outer product (∘.f), rank (⍤)
• Rank operator — (f⍤k) applies any function along any axis: (⌽⍤1) M reverses rows, (+/⍤1) M sums rows
• From function (⌷) — leading-axis selection that composes with rank
• Direct functions (dfns) — {⍵} syntax with guards, recursion via ∇, default ⍺
• Symbol table-aware parser — named functions work without parens: double ⍳5
• Namespaces — $::str::upper 'hello', #import directives, :: separator
• I-beam operator (⌶) — Python FFI for extending MARPLE with Python code
• Error handling — ⎕EA (execute alternate), ⎕EN (error number), ⎕DM (diagnostic message), ⎕SIGNAL
• System variables — ⎕IO, ⎕CT, ⎕PP, ⎕RL, ⎕A, ⎕D, ⎕TS, ⎕WSID, ⎕UCS, ⎕NC, ⎕EX
• Matrices — reshape, transpose, bracket indexing (M[r;c] any rank), matrix inverse (⌹)
• Numpy backend — automatic vectorization (73x faster for element-wise, 380x for outer product), with pure-Python fallback
• Web REPL — browser-based REPL with language bar, workspace panel, session history, multi-line input
• Terminal REPL — live backtick→glyph input, workspace save/load, APL-style formatting
• Script runner — marple script.marple with session transcript output
• 448 tests (412 interpreter + 36 Playwright), pyright strict

Quick start

Install uv if you don't have it, then:

uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate      # on Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
uv pip install marple-lang
marple

MARPLE v0.3.0 - Mini APL in Python
CLEAR WS

      ⍳5
1 2 3 4 5
      +/⍳100
5050
      fact←{⍵≤1:1⋄⍵×∇ ⍵-1}
      fact 10
3628800
      double←{⍵+⍵}
      double ⍳5
2 4 6 8 10
      M←3 4⍴⍳12
      (⌽⍤1) M
 4  3  2  1
 8  7  6  5
12 11 10  9
      $::str::upper 'hello'
HELLO

Web REPL

python -m marple.web.server

Open http://localhost:8888/ in your browser. Features: clickable language bar, workspace panel, session history (up/down arrows), multi-line input (Shift+Enter).

Running scripts

marple examples/01_primitives.marple          # run and display
marple examples/01_primitives.marple > out.txt  # capture session transcript

Four demo scripts are included in examples/:

• 01_primitives.marple — arithmetic, vectors, matrices, reduce, products
• 02_dfns.marple — user functions, guards, recursion, rank operator
• 03_namespaces.marple — system library, imports, file I/O, i-beams
• 04_errors.marple — ea/en error handling, error codes

APL character input

If you have a Dyalog APL keyboard layout installed (e.g. via setxkbmap with grp:win_switch), you can use the Win key to type APL glyphs directly.

Alternatively, type APL glyphs using backtick prefixes — they appear immediately as you type:

Key	Glyph	Key	Glyph	Key	Glyph	Key	Glyph
`r	⍴	`i	⍳	`l	←	`w	⍵
`a	⍺	`V	∇	`x	⋄	`c	⍝
`-	×	`=	÷	`<	≤	`>	≥
`/	≠	`o	○	`*	⍟	`2	¯
`q	⌽	`Q	⍉	`g	⍋	`G	⍒
`t	↑	`y	↓	`n	⊤	`N	⊥
`J	⍤	`I	⌷	`j	∘	`D	⌹
`B	⌶

System commands

Command	Action
)off	Exit
)clear	Clear workspace
)wsid [name]	Show or set workspace ID
)save [name]	Save workspace (sets WSID if name given)
)load name	Load workspace
)lib	List saved workspaces
)fns [ns]	List defined functions (optionally in namespace)
)vars	List defined variables

Development

pip install -e .[test]
pytest
pyright src/

To run without numpy (pure-Python mode):

MARPLE_BACKEND=none pytest

Architecture

Module	Purpose
arraymodel.py	APLArray(shape, data) — the core data structure
backend.py	Numpy/CuPy/ulab detection with pure-Python fallback
tokenizer.py	Lexer for APL glyphs, numbers, strings, qualified names
parser.py	Right-to-left recursive descent with symbol table
interpreter.py	Tree-walking evaluator with dfn closures
functions.py	Scalar functions with pervasion (numpy-accelerated)
structural.py	Shape-manipulating and indexing functions
cells.py	Cell decomposition and reassembly for the rank operator
namespace.py	Hierarchical namespace resolution and system workspace
errors.py	APL error classes with numeric codes
repl.py	Interactive read-eval-print loop
script.py	Script runner with session transcript output
terminal.py	Raw terminal input with live glyph translation
glyphs.py	Backtick → APL character mapping
workspace.py	Directory-based workspace persistence
stdlib/	Standard library: string, I/O, and error handling

References

• RGSPL — Rodrigo Girão Serrão's Python APL interpreter (design reference)
• RGSPL blog series — step-by-step interpreter build
• Iverson's Dictionary of APL — the rank operator and leading-axis theory
• Language spec — full first-generation APL reference and roadmap
• Rank operator spec — detailed rank operator design
• Indexing spec — From function and indexing approach
• Namespaces spec — namespaces, i-beams, and standard library