Soplang (Python Interpreter – Archived)

The Somali Programming Language

Status: Archived.
This repository contains the legacy Python interpreter implementation of Soplang and is kept for historical and reference purposes only.

The active Soplang implementation (compiler + runtime in Rust) now lives in the main repository:

• The compiler: soplang/soplang

For all new projects, documentation, and releases, use the main Soplang repository instead of this one.

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What this repository is

• Legacy Python interpreter: Tree‑walking interpreter and tooling written in Python.
• Reference for language behavior: Useful for understanding the original interpreter semantics and examples.
• No longer developed: There is no active feature development or bug fixing here.

If you are looking for the current Soplang compiler, performance work, or production‑ready binaries, go to soplang/soplang.

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Language features (unchanged conceptually)

Soplang itself is a programming language with syntax inspired by Somali, making programming more accessible to Somali speakers. It combines static and dynamic typing systems in one elegant language with a focus on clarity and ease of use.

• Powerful type system – Combines both static typing (abn, qoraal, etc.) and dynamic typing (door) in one language
• Somali-based syntax – Programming concepts expressed in Somali
• Modern paradigms – Supports functional, procedural, and object-oriented programming
• Type safety – Enforces type checking at runtime
• Interactive shell – REPL for quick experimentation
• File extensions – Uses .sop (primary) and .so (secondary) file extensions

Note: The Python-based tooling and installers described below are part of this legacy interpreter. They are not maintained and may be outdated. For an up‑to‑date toolchain, see soplang/soplang.

Example

// Hello World
qor("Salaan, Adduunka!")  // Prints: Hello, World!

// Variables with dual type system in action
door magac = "Sharafdin"  // Dynamic typing - can change type later
door num = 10             // Also dynamic
num = "new value"         // Valid: dynamic variables can change types

// Static typing examples
qoraal name = "Sharafdin" // Static typing - string only
abn age = 25             // Static typing - number only

// Type safety enforcement
// age = "25"             // Would cause runtime error - type mismatch

// Control flow
haddii (age > 18) {
    qor("Waa qof weyn")   // Is an adult
} ugudambeyn {
    qor("Waa qof yar")    // Is a child
}

// Functions
hawl salaam(qof) {
    celi "Salaan, " + qof + "!"
}
qor(salaam(magac))        // Prints: Salaan, Sharafdin!

Documentation

• Legacy docs (Python interpreter):
  • Getting Started
  • Language Reference
  • Examples
  • Contributing Guide
  • Docker Guide
• Current docs (active project):
  • See soplang/soplang

Installation (legacy, not maintained)

The instructions in this section apply to the Python interpreter version only and are kept for reference. They may no longer work on current platforms as-is.

For detailed legacy installation instructions, see the Installation Guide.

Download Installers

Previously, the easiest way to get started was to download a pre-built installer from the old releases page:

• Legacy releases: https://github.com/sharafdin/soplang/releases

For current releases, see the releases page of soplang/soplang.

Using Docker (No Installation Required)

You can run the legacy Soplang interpreter using Docker without installing anything:

# Run the interactive shell
docker run -it --rm soplang/soplang

# Run a Soplang script
docker run -it --rm -v $(pwd):/scripts soplang/soplang my_script.sop

See the Docker Guide for more details.

Building from Source

If you want to build the legacy interpreter from source, refer to the platform-specific build guides:

• Windows: See the Windows Build Guide
• Linux: See the Linux Build Guide
• macOS: See the macOS Build Guide

You can also use our universal build script that automatically detects your platform:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/sharafdin/soplang.git
cd soplang

# Run the universal build script
./build.sh  # (may need chmod +x build.sh on Unix systems)

Development

For this legacy interpreter, we provide a Makefile to simplify common development tasks:

# Setup your development environment
make install

# Run the interactive shell
make shell

# Run tests
make test

# Format code
make format

# See all commands
make help

Releases

Historically, this project used an automated release process powered by GitHub Actions. For details, see the legacy Release Process Documentation.

For current releases and the active pipeline, see soplang/soplang.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See our Contributing Guide for details on how to get started.

Code of Conduct

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone. Please read our Code of Conduct to understand the community standards we uphold.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.