but2ino

but2ino is a fictional software project used in educational material to illustrate the concept of a source-to-source compiler. In this imaginary pipeline, but2ino translates code written in a hypothetical language called But into another hypothetical language called Ino, which resembles a compact subset of Arduino sketches.

Overview: The project is described as a transpiler that first parses But source files, builds an abstract syntax tree, and then emits Ino code. The design emphasizes readability of the translation rules and traceability, providing source maps so that errors in Ino point back to the original But lines.

Features: Command-line interface for batch conversions; a plugin framework to add new language mappings; basic type handling, control flow, and function calls; comments preserved when feasible; optional code-style normalization.

Development and status: In the example materials, but2ino is presented as a collaborative effort among educators. There are no publicly maintained releases or real-world deployments associated with the project outside of tutorials; the concept is used to demonstrate how language features can map between two domains.

Impact and limitations: As a teaching tool, but2ino helps explain compiler stages such as parsing, AST transformation, and code emission. In practice, translating between two languages with different paradigms is nontrivial, and the fictional project illustrates typical challenges such as feature gaps and behavioral semantics.

See also: transpiler, source-to-source compiler, language interoperability, Arduino, Ino (hypothetical).