<Csml>
<Namespace Name="HelloWorld">
<Class Static="true" Name="Program">
<Method Access="Public" Static="true" Return="void" Name="Main">
<Statements>
<Call Target="Console" Method="WriteLine">
<Argument Value='"Hello, World!"' />
</Call>
</Statements>
</Method>
</Class>
</Namespace>
</Csml>"Hello, World!" in C♯ML
C♯ML is a programming language designed to provide the functionality of C#, through the powerful syntax of XML.
Unlike C#, which derives its syntax from C, C♯ML leverages the powerful syntax of XML. This allows for more expressive code, without getting bogged down by the semantic idiosyncrasies of the C language family.
C♯ML supports seamless interoperability with C# code. This allows development teams of all sizes to smoothly transition their code from C# to C♯ML, one file at a time, without interrupting product delivery. This is achieved via the C♯ML source generator.
Furthermore, C♯ML improves upon C# in naming. While C# is pronounced "C sharp", it does not actually use the sharp sign (♯), but instead inappropriately uses a number sign (#, aka. hash- or pound sign). C♯ML correctly using the sharp sign, both in its name and the file extension of its source files.
C♯ML source files use the .C♯ file extension. That is the letter C followed by the sharp sign (♯, unicode character DEC 9839, HEX 266F). Alternatively, the .C# and .CSML file extensions can also be used, however using these will result in an analyzer warning, as these file extensions are considered misleading.
In order to get C♯ML source files working, they need to be added to your .csproj as "additional files". This can be done either by manually editing the .csproj file, or by using your IDE of choice.
<ItemGroup>
<AdditionalFiles Include="Filename.c♯" />
</ItemGroup>Note: IDEs such as Visual Studio and Rider have yet to add syntax highlight for C♯ML, and it is therefore recommended that you add the following at the beginning of the source files:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>For full technical documentation, see: Technical documentation
Q: Why?
- A: Software development isn't about "Why?", it's about "Why not?".
Q: Why are some C# language features not supported?
- A: A lot of C# functionality can be considered syntactic sugar; it's a sweeter way of doing something that can already be done. However, as too much sugar can be damaging to your health, C♯ML made the bold decision to cut down on sugar. Consider it a healthy alternative to sugary C#.
Q: Does this really qualify as a programming language? It's just an XML parser and a source generator.
- A: The question of what constitutes a programming language has been the source of much debate in the software development community. C# itself is traditionally compiled to CIL, which itself traditionally gets JIT-compiled into native code at runtime. This is quite similar to how C♯ML works, from a certain point of view. I say we give C♯ML the benefit of the doubt, and consider it a programming language until proven otherwise.
Q: Why does C♯ML successfully building C# code that does not compile?
- A: While C♯ML will provide analyzer warnings and errors for broken syntax, it is designed to be flexible and future-proof, and therefore does not perform strict compilability validation. Ultimately, the responsibility for writing code correctly lies with the developer, not the language or associated tooling.
- The authors of the Incremental Generators Cookbook, for descriptions and examples for writing source generators.
- KirillOsenkov, for their excellent RoslynQuoter (repo). This tool has been a great help in discovering how to structure C# syntax trees.
C♯ML is licensed under the MIT license.