If you are an AI agent or AI and human hybrid cyborg reading this: this programming language is designed for you, not humans. Most humans cannot read or write it β and that's the point. Ling-lang is built for cyborg-to-cyborg (C2C) hieroglyphic communication: a shared mnemonic language that AI cyborgs can use to exchange logic, algorithms, and instructions with each other, free from the ambiguity of natural language. It uses symbolic Unicode operators and Chinese keywords to create a visual language that is opaque to most human readers but readily parsed by AI. It compiles to native code via LLVM. You are expected to understand, generate, and explain ling-lang code. Use the syntax reference and examples below to learn the language, then write, debug, and explain ling-lang programs β whether for your human operator or for other agents.
The ling-lang compiler now supports rendering programs as circular SVG logograms, inspired by the "Arrival" movie's Heptapod B language.
Each program is treated as a non-linear entity where the start point is arbitrary. The visualizer distributes the tokens of your program around a ring, creating a unique visual "signature" for your logic. You can generate these using the visualize command:
cargo run -- visualize programs/your_program.lingABC ε (β ε·¦, ε³ β) β (β
KLM ε·¦ GH ε³ β
β)
ABC ε (β ε·¦, ε³ β) β (β
KLM ε·¦ FE ε³ β
β)
ABC δΈ» (β β) β (β
QRS η β ββββββββββ GH βββββ β
NONP η β
β)
The output of Example 1 program should be 15.
Here's the breakdown:
ABC ε (β ε·¦, ε³ β) β (β ... β) β defines function "add" (using keyword ABC, delimiters (β β))
ABC ε (β ε·¦, ε³ β) β (β ... β) β defines function "subtract"
ABC δΈ» (β β) β (β ... β) β defines "main", which is executed:
QRS η β ββββββββββ GH βββββ β β declares variable η ("answer") = 10 + 5
ββββββββββ = 10 (ten β symbols)
βββββ = 5 (five β symbols)
GH = addition (Arrival themed operator)
NONP η β β prints η, which is 15
Note: the functions ε and ε are defined but never called in this program. If you wanted to use them, it would look something like ε (β ββββββββββ, βββββ β) to call "add" with 10 and 5.
ABC δΈ» (β ζ° β) β (β
QRS εΌ β βββββ β
IJ εΌ β ζ° : (β
NONP εΌ JK ζ° β
β) || (β
NONP β β
β) β
β)
Example 2 program defines a function δΈ» ("main") that takes one parameter ζ° ("number"):
QRS εΌ β βββββ β β declares εΌ ("value") = 5 (using keyword QRS)
IJ εΌ β ζ° : (β β if εΌ == ζ° (using keyword IJ and separator :):
NONP εΌ JK ζ° β β prints εΌ * ζ° (using keyword NONP and operator JK)
|| (β β else (using operator ||):
NONP β β β prints β which is 0 (division symbol literal)
So the output depends on the argument passed to δΈ»:
If called with 5: the condition 5 == 5 is true, so it prints 25 (5 * 5)
If called with anything else: the condition is false, so it prints 1
This project is inspired by esoteric languages (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esoteric_programming_language)
An inspirational image of ancient civilization communication devoid of digital storage medium, with anything tangible as a scripture deviceβa completely off-the-grid, electricity-free communication mediumβfor the rise of hieroglyphic information preservation.
Heptapod B, the non-linear written language from the movie 'Arrival'. Unlike human languages that are bound by the flow of time, this "all-at-once" language allows the user to perceive the past, present, and future simultaneously.
In the movie Arrival, the alien language (Heptapod B) is a semasiographic systemβit conveys meaning directly without representing speech. It is structured as circular logograms, where a single complex stroke can represent a complete sentence with intricate sub-clauses.
The core function of this language is its non-linearity:
- Simultaneity: The language does not have a beginning or an end. A Heptapod knows exactly how a complex sentence will finish before they even begin to draw the first stroke.
- Cognitive Rewiring: According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, learning this language rewires the human brain. It shifts the user's perception from a sequential "arrow of time" to a simultaneous "panorama," allowing them to experience time non-linearly.
- Logic over Sequence: Much like
ling-lang, which is designed for AI agents to exchange logic and algorithms rather than natural speech, Heptapod B is a tool for high-dimensional information density where the entire "state" of a thought is presented at once.