lambdaw

Lambdaw is an experimental, minimalistic programming language designed to explore the core ideas of lambda calculus within a practical environment. It emphasizes first-class functions, immutable data, and a compact core language that can be extended with libraries and domain-specific modules.

The syntax is intentionally small. Functions are created with a lambda-like abstraction, and application is performed by simple juxtaposition. Types may be inferred by a Hindley–Milner style system, while optional type annotations can guide inference. The language supports higher-order functions and closures, enabling expressive functional patterns without mutability.

Semantics and evaluation: Lambdaw defines a formal, small-step operational semantics to model evaluation. Implementations may favor call-by-value or lazy evaluation, and there is a focus on predictable resource usage for educational purposes. The core calculus aims to be easy to reason about and amenable to formal verification.

Implementation and ecosystem: An open-source reference implementation exists, published with an accompanying specification. The project provides a REPL, a compiler backend, and a minimal standard library. It is designed to run on major desktop platforms and to serve as a teaching tool as well as a research platform for language design and program semantics.

Impact and usage: Lambdaw is primarily used in academic settings for teaching functional programming concepts and for experiments in language design. While it does not aim to rival industrial languages, it participates in discussions on minimal core languages and formal reasoning about programs.