Standard Library & APIs in M7 Script

Overview

M7 Script provides a built-in standard library with core functions to simplify common programming tasks, such as string manipulation, data structure operations, file handling, and mathematical computations.

Extensibility & Runtime Function Injection

  • M7 is designed for dynamic extension, allowing users to override or provide new built-in functions at runtime.
  • Functions can be injected based on the host language in which M7 is embedded.
  • If running standalone, users can enhance M7 by loading shared libraries (.so / .dll) written in C.
  • This allows sandboxed execution environments, providing flexibility while maintaining security.
  • Different builtin libraries can be provided for different user access levels, ensuring controlled execution environments.

Example: Overriding a Built-in Function

function print(var message) {
    original_print("[LOG]: " . message);
}

print("Hello"); // Outputs: [LOG]: Hello

Example: Loading a Shared Library in Standalone Mode

loadLibrary("m7_extensions.so");
callExternal("customFunction", "Hello, World!");

1. String Manipulation

M7 includes a variety of string-handling functions for modification, searching, and formatting.

Example Functions:

var text = "Hello, World!";
print(length(text)); // Outputs: 13
print(upper(text)); // Outputs: HELLO, WORLD!
print(lower(text)); // Outputs: hello, world!
print(trim("   padded text   ")); // Outputs: padded text

2. Array & Hash Operations

Functions to manipulate arrays and hashes, including sorting, filtering, and transformation.

Example Functions:

array numbers = [5, 2, 8, 1];
sort(numbers);
print(numbers); // Outputs: [1, 2, 5, 8]

hash user = { name: "Alice", age: 30 };
print(keys(user)); // Outputs: ["name", "age"]

3. File Handling & I/O

Provides support for reading and writing files, as well as handling input and output operations.

Example Functions:

var content = readFile("example.txt");
print(content);

writeFile("output.txt", "This is saved text.");

4. Math Operations

Includes basic arithmetic, trigonometric functions, and rounding operations.

Example Functions:

print(abs(-42)); // Outputs: 42
print(pow(2, 3)); // Outputs: 8
print(sqrt(25)); // Outputs: 5
print(sin(3.14));

5. Planned Features

  • Networking Support: Functions for HTTP requests, sockets, and inter-process communication.
  • Concurrency Utilities: Support for threading, coroutines, or async execution.
  • Date & Time Functions: Handling timestamps, formatting dates, and timezone adjustments.
  • Enhanced Native Integration: Direct function calls to C libraries with more structured bindings.

This document provides an overview of the built-in standard library and APIs in M7 Script, covering essential functions, extensibility through overrides, and planned future enhancements.