bork

bork

Pre-alpha. The language is still changing, and programs may need updating between versions.

bork is a programming language for backend services. Its compiler checks more than types: that a value was validated before it is used, which functions do I/O, that a file or connection is still open, and that every case of a result is handled. There is no null and there are no exceptions. Programs compile to a single executable.

Bork bork bork! The name comes from the Swedish Chef. Strict recipes, cheerfully enforced.

A quick look

type User = { name: String, email: Option[String] }
type NotFound = { id: Int }

pred positive(x: Int) { x > 0 }

fn findUser(id: Int where positive): User | NotFound {
  if (id == 1) {
    User { name: "Ada", email: Option.None }
  } else {
    NotFound { id: id }
  }
}

fn describe(id: Int where positive): String {
  match (findUser(id)) {
    User { name, email: .Some(value) } => s"$name <$value>"
    User { name } => name
    NotFound { id: missing } => s"no user with id $missing"
  }
}

fn greet(id: Int) uses io {
  if (positive(id)) { println(describe(id)) } else { println("ids start at 1") }
}

fn main() {
  greet(1)
}

findUser returns one of two outcomes, and match must handle both. pred declares a check, and where positive makes every caller of describe prove it. describe is also pure: only greet says it does I/O. Break any of these rules and bork check users.bork stops you:

users.bork:15:3: match is not exhaustive: missing NotFound
users.bork:23:20: describe requires id to be positive, but that is not proven for id (check it first with if (positive(id)) { ... }, or require it: id: Int where positive)
users.bork:15:3: describe uses io (it calls println), but its signature allows no effects; declare it: uses io

Those come from three separate edits: deleting the NotFound arm, calling describe(id) in greet without the if, and adding println(id) as the first line of describe.

Install

bork compiles through Go. With Go installed:

go install github.com/GiGurra/bork/cmd/bork@latest

Or with Homebrew, which installs Go for you:

brew install gigurra/tap/bork

Prebuilt archives are on GitHub Releases. See installing bork for Go versions, upgrades and pinning a compiler version.

Quick start

bork new hello      # or --template cli, http, or lib
cd hello
bork run .
bork test .

A single file works too: bork run hello.bork, or bork script hello.bork for a script with top-level statements or fn main(). The tour continues from here.

Highlights

• Unions and exhaustive matching: failures are values, and every case is handled.
• Facts: check a value once, and the compiler remembers it.
• Effects: signatures say which functions do I/O, networking, or read the clock.
• Scopes and tasks: files, connections and concurrent tasks cannot outlive their scope.
• Channels: typed communication between tasks, with select and timeouts.
• Compile-time evaluation: comptime blocks run while compiling and become data.
• Typed interpolation: sql.SQL"..." keeps inserted values out of the query text.
• Testing: tests live next to the code, with snapshots, mocks and property tests.
• Standard packages: files, HTTP, JSON, SQL, CLI apps, time, and more.
• Fast rebuilds: unchanged programs start without recompiling.

Editors and playground

• VS Code: install with bork editor install vscode, including Cursor and VSCodium.
• Other editors: Neovim, Vim, Emacs, Helix, Zed and any LSP client, plus a debugger.
• Browser playground: check and format code without installing anything.

Documentation

• Documentation home, also online.
• A tour of bork: build a small program step by step.
• The language: one page per area.
• The bork command: every command and setting.
• Examples: runnable programs, from wc to an HTTP service.
• Quick references: cheat sheet, cookbook, FAQ, and language comparisons.
• For agents: llms.txt indexes the reader docs; llms-full.txt contains them in full.
• Contributing and design notes.

License

MIT