Notes.txt

Notes and Thoughts on Development of Object-oriented Batch Programming Language.

CMD doesn't support undefined variables. This could be circumvented by using file name and content to represent variable name and value. An empty file would be a declared but unset variable. Whether we want to support unset variables is another matter. It may be a bad idea, and not worth putting effort into.
\\...\Project\Objects\ObjectName\vars\varNameFileWithNoExtension

It's okay to use a command to kick off setting a variable value. See Go vs Python vs SQL:
	var <name> <type> = <value> 
	var int1 int = 2
	var int2 int = 3
	var mySum int = int1 + int2
	var myArr arr = 2 3 2300 "2,300" "twenty three"
	var myStr str = Hello world.
	var myLst lst = thing1 thing2
vs
	<name> = <value with formatting indicators>
	int1 = 2
	int2 = 3
	mySum = int1 + int2
	myArr = [2, 3, 2300, "2,300" "twenty three"]
	myStr = "Hello world."
	myLst = (thing1, thing2)
vs
	declare int1 int
	set int1 = 2
		or
	declare int1 int = 2 (is basically the same as var)
	
Think about whether to indicate variables and comments by one or more reserved characters:
	@myVar
	$myVar
	# Comment
	/* Multi-line comment */
	
Review Derek Banas's "Learn <Language> in One Video" series for an overview of major categories to support, and ways to implement them:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~gshute/softeng/object-oriented.html
http://www.jeffknupp.com/blog/2014/06/18/improve-your-python-python-classes-and-object-oriented-programming/
http://www.cs.utah.edu/~germain/PPS/Topics/oop.html
	strings
	math
	loops
	if/then/else
	file handling
	recursion
	deferment (Go)
	interface
	conversion / casting
	
Have option to attach required executables in alternate data stream folders (EXE, BAT).

"Everything Is an Object" (Python)
Common Functions/Methods:
\\...\lang\methods\LEN.BAT
\\...\lang\types\STRING.BAT (call LEN.BAT "%~1")
	\n (newline)
	\t (tab)
	alias (creates new batch that calls existing one: 'alias ass assert' creates ass.bat, which calls assert.bat. Alternately, creates a link to original.)
	app end (uses set/p hack to add content to end of line, unless newline specified with \n)
	assert
	base 	(not sure; used in SSIS C# script component)
	bat (writes input to batch file, then executes
	break 	(inserts a break point (echo & pause?) for debugging. Opens new CMD instance where programmer can ask to view values of variables, etc. Watch window can be text file that gets overwritten and reopened.)
	cast/convert
	class
	cmd (passes args to CMD command. Compare to raw.)
	cont ains
	copy
	count
	debug
	def ine
	delete/clear/kill/archive/sleep/wipe/erase
	defer (wait until parent function completes. good for open/close file or try/catch (recover))
	edit (Launches preferred text editor. Defaults to Notepad.)
	end
	enum erate (similar to alias; creates shorthand for long namespace values: ScriptResult.Success = ScriptResult.Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.DTSExecResult.Success)
	for (break out variations of for)
		for
		forl OR for l OR for lst OR for list
		forf OR for f OR for set OR for fileset
		ford OR for d OR for dir OR for directory
	imp ort
	index
	join
	len gth
	make
	max imum
	min imum
	object / struct ure
	override	(not sure, used in C#. Maybe overrides same-name method in parent class?)
	partial
	print
	private (setlocal)
	public  (no setlocal)
	raw 	(passes args directly to CMD interpreter)
	read 	(echoes file content)
	ref erence 	(indicates passing by reference)
	replace/substitute
	restore/revive/wake
	return (type) Go supports returning multiple values. Need to pick separator.
	script 	('edit script file lang' creates a file with given name, in an appropriate (system-determined) location, and opens it for editing.)
	sort
	split
	sub
	super
	type
	until
	val ue
	var iable (var.bat = call variable.bat)
	void 	(doesn't return a value; return value not allowed by compiler)
	while

	

Packages/Modules/Libraries
		fmt format
		os
		math
		string
		log
		net/http (work with WMIC html output?)
		time
	
Types
	int eger (base8, base10, hex)
	dec imal
	str ing
	arr ay
	sli ce / vec tor / struct
	list
	date
	time
	mon ey (Support for different currencies? How does T-SQL money type work?)
	mat rix
	map (Go)
	
	
May want to consider writing core methods with VBScript or another Windows scripting language that can be called with cscript.exe. That may grant a lot of flexibility and Windows hooks that basic batch doesn't offer.

At some point in runtime, adjust PATH to look first in lang and project folders.
OR
Ensure that all commands are actually interpreted as having full paths.

Running program options:
	Include header row command in main.bat: 
	call "\\...\lang\version\interpreter.bat" "%~f0" & exit /b
	C:\>main.bat
	
	Include header comment for version confirmation:
	#OOBP lang <version>
	C:\>set "PATH=%PATH%,"\\...\lang\version\oobplang.bat"
	
		C:\>oobplang run \\...\project\main.bat	
		C:\>oobplang compile \\...\project
		
		C:\>oobplang (enters interactive mode)
		oobplang C:\>run main.bat
		oobplang C:\>compile main.bat
	
Use evaluation function (eval.bat) to evaluate right-side expression before assigning to variable. Recurse as neededed to expand nested functions. Return assessed values to parent eval as %returnVal% or something similar. Do a final pass through args string doing any needed math or concatenation before returning value to var.bat for assignment to variable.
var <name> <type> = eval<expression(s)> [operator] [value(s)]
var sum2 int = eval sum1 + 5

PowerShell GUIs are a thing. So are WSH GUIs.
http://www.reddit.com/tb/324sn3 = http://foxdeploy.com/2015/04/10/part-i-creating-powershell-guis-in-minutes-using-visual-studio-a-new-hope/