Pulse Programming Language

A modern programming language for reactive and concurrent computing.

Overview

Pulse is a complete programming language with its own lexer, parser, runtime, and standard library. It compiles to JavaScript but is a separate language with its own semantics.

The syntax is similar to JavaScript for familiarity, but Pulse has built-in support for:

• Signal-based reactivity with automatic dependency tracking
• CSP-style concurrency with channels and select operations
• Predictable performance without runtime patching

Features

Reactivity

• Signal-based reactive system
• Automatic dependency tracking
• No virtual DOM overhead
• Efficient memory management

Concurrency

• CSP channels (buffered and unbuffered)
• select() for concurrent operations
• Deterministic scheduling
• Safe resource cleanup

Language Support

• JavaScript-compatible syntax with extensions
• fn functions, classes, async/await
• Arrow functions
• for...of loops
• Destructuring assignments
• ES-module imports/exports

Quality

• All core tests passing (15/15 suites)
• Parser fuzzing completed (1000 iterations)
• No security vulnerabilities
• No memory leaks
• Comprehensive error handling

Architecture

Pulse has three main components:

1. Parser: Recursive descent parser that generates AST nodes
2. Runtime: Execution engine with signals, effects, channels, and memory safety
3. Standard Library: Modules for async, reactive state, I/O, math, and crypto

Compilation: Pulse Source → Parser → AST → Codegen → JavaScript

Quick Start

Note: npm package temporarily unavailable - will be republished tomorrow. For now, please clone the repository to use Pulse.

Install from Repository

# 1. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/osvfelices/pulse.git

# 2. Enter the project
cd pulse

# 3. Install dependencies
npm install

Then you can use Pulse in your projects by importing from the lib/ directory:

import { signal, effect } from './pulse/lib/runtime/reactivity.js';
import { channel } from './pulse/lib/runtime/async/index.js';

npm Install (available tomorrow)

npm install pulselang

Basic usage:

import { signal, effect } from 'pulselang/runtime';

const [count, setCount] = signal(0);

effect(() => {
console.log('Count:', count());
});

setCount(5); // Output: Count: 5

Channels example:

import { channel } from 'pulselang/runtime/async';

const ch = channel();

async function producer() {
await ch.send('hello');
await ch.send('world');
ch.close();
}

async function consumer() {
for await (const value of ch) {
console.log('Got:', value);
}
}

await Promise.all([producer(), consumer()]);

Language Examples

Functions and classes:

fn add(a, b) {
return a + b;
}

class Counter {
constructor(initial) {
this.value = signal(initial);
}

increment() {
this.value.value++;
}
}

Async operations:

async function fetchData(url) {
const response = await fetch(url);
return await response.json();
}

Standard Library

• fs: File system operations
• json: JSON parsing and stringifying
• math: Math functions
• reactive: Signal and effect primitives
• async: Channels, futures, and scheduling
• cli: Command line utilities
• path: Path manipulation
• crypto: Cryptographic functions

Development

Setup:

git clone https://github.com/osvfelices/pulse.git
cd pulse
npm install

Testing:

npm test
npm run test:core
npm run test:async
npm run test:parser
npm run test:fuzz
npm run coverage

Performance

Operation	Performance	Notes
Signal Updates	1.4M+ updates/sec	Automatic dependency tracking
Channel Operations	2.2M+ ops/sec	Buffered and unbuffered
Parse Time	<5ms/file	Average source file
Memory Usage	Stable	No leaks detected

Contributing

Want to help make Pulse better? Here are some ways to contribute:

• Bug reports: Found something broken? Open an issue with details about what happened

• Feature ideas: Have an idea for making Pulse better? Start a discussion

• Code contributions:

• Look for issues labeled “good first issue”

• Check the tests/ folder for examples of how things work

• Run npm test before submitting PRs

• Keep changes focused and simple

• Documentation: Help improve examples, fix typos, or clarify explanations

• Standard library: Contribute new modules or improve existing ones

No need to be an expert - curious developers who want to learn about language design are welcome. If you’re interested in contributing but not sure where to start, just open an issue and we’ll help you find something that matches your skills.

License

MIT License

Repository

https://github.com/osvfelices/pulse