How to make a programming language?

[sherlock]

Ok, first please no one tell me how hard it is and stuff I know that. Any pointers? I want to make my own scripting language useing c++. And just basic stuff right now? I want to make it a command line programming language useing it.

[supperpiccle]

yea right lot more complicated than that i believe

[Aramil of Elixia]

google search bajarne stroustroup calculator. its basically a command line calculator that is like a language and can be used as a model for an interpreter.

[sherlock]

Ok, anyone else? Aramil I found stuff on it but I wasnt sure what to do.. could you explain more?

[AleaIactaEst]

In my opinion all you need to know is how a compiler works, parses the source code, does lexical and semantical analysis, how assembler code is generated and so on.

You can find all these informations easily using google / wikipedia / ...

[Owain]

You need to write a program called a compiler, which reads tokens and as AlealactaEst says, 'does lexical and semantical analysis' then parses the data gathered from the program into an abstract syntax tree then converts that into native machine code. When designing a programming language, you need to consider a lot of different designes that suit what you want the best (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programming_paradigm). If your writing a scripting language, then that generally means that you are designing a very-high level language which is converted into another language (C++ in your case) or simply parsed by a subroutine (like reading a jpeg file for example). Remember that scripting languages are specific to a program.

[Aramil of Elixia]

guys he wants a scripting language... its an interpreter he wants

[ozUkoG1T]

Hey just warning you that creating an scripting language is very hard and complex you must be able to know almost every command or functions about c++ or c to use that to code an new scripting language.

[Owain]

Hey just warning you that creating an scripting language is very hard and complex you must be able to know almost every command or functions about c++ or c to use that to code an new scripting language.

Its not necessary that hard, alot of games use scripting languages that consist of a few hundred commands with their parameters separated by whitespace. The whole scripting language could be implemented within a simple function.