The Problem: Cognitive Friction
Most modern languages are designed for machines first. I call the gap between our thoughts and the actual syntax Cognitive Friction. I wanted to build a system where that gap is near zero. That’s why I created ShellLite.
What is ShellLite?
A programming language designed to be as readable as plain English. It strips away the Cognitive Friction of traditional languages and replaces it with natural, human friendly commands. Whether you are automating your desktop, building a website, or just learning to code, ShellLite makes it simple.
Why not Python??
ShellLite
repeat 5 times
say the index
Python
for i in range (0,5):
print(i)
The Three Pillars
- The Bridge: Import any Python library (Pandas, NumPy, etc.) and use it directly with ShellLite commands.
- The Canvas: A built in GUI framework. Build a native desktop app with simple commands like column and button.
- The Universe: A package manager that pulls dependencies directly from GitHub.
The Technical Innovation: Non-Recursive Parsing
To bridge the gap between English and LLVM, I developed a novel architecture (Parsing Algorithm) called Geometric Binding Parsing (GBP).
While traditional compilers rely on recursive trees, my research (CERN/Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.18385614) uses a Non-Recursive architecture. GBP uses geometric relationships to bind tokens with total precision. This allows ShellLite to handle natural phrasing while with the option to compile via LLVM for substantial performance improvements.
The Documentation
I’ve have documented the full internal architecture in my book, "Inside ShellLite" (available on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Many more!). It’s a deep dive into lexical analysis and the philosophy of human centered language design.
I want to Emphasize ShellLite is an active research and engineering project. Parts of the system are experimental, and the language is evolving based on real world use and feedback.
Try it Out
ShellLite is open source and ready for use:
pip install shell-lite