Language Overview

DWScript is an object-oriented scripting language based on Delphi (Object Pascal). It features a strong type system, high performance, and a rich standard library. This guide is organized into the following sections:

1. Getting Started

• Welcome - Basic syntax, comments, and program entry points.
• Program Structure - Units, namespaces, and scope.
• Operating Modes - Differences between native execution, web server, and JS transpilation.
• Coming from Delphi - Key differences for experienced Delphi developers.

2. Types & Variables

• Type System - Overview, Variables & Constants.
• Core Types - Integers, Floats, Booleans, and Strings.
• Enums & Sets - Enumerated types and bitmasks.
• Variants - Dynamic typing support.

3. Operators

• Arithmetic & Logic - Standard math, comparison, and logical operators.
• Bitwise Operators - Manipulating data at the bit level.
• Ternary & Coalesce - Compact conditional expressions.

4. Control Flow

• Loops - for, while, and repeat loops.
• Conditionals - if statements and case blocks.
• Iteration - Iterating over collections and ranges.
• Exceptions - Error handling with try...except and try...finally.

5. Data Structures

• Arrays - Static and dynamic arrays.
• Associative Arrays - Dictionary-like collections.
• Records - Value types with methods and operators.
• Tabular Data - In-memory dataset handling.

6. Functions

• Subroutines - Procedures and functions.
• Parameters - Passing values, constants, and references.
• Contracts - Design-by-contract features (requires/ensures).
• Lambdas - Anonymous functions and closures.

7. Object Oriented Programming

• Classes & Objects - Inheritance, polymorphism, constructors.
• Properties - Getters, setters, and array properties.
• Interfaces - Contract-based programming.
• Helpers - Extending existing types.

8. Files & System

• File I/O - Reading and writing files.
• Date & Time - Temporal operations.
• Configuration - INI files and Registry.

9. Web & Database

• Web Support - Handling HTTP requests and responses.
• JSON - Parsing and generating JSON.
• Database - SQL integration.

10. Advanced Topics

• State Management - Persistent variables and state management.
• RTTI - Runtime Type Information and Attributes.
• Metaprogramming - Compile-time logic.
• Style Guide - Best practices for formatting and naming.
• Example Gallery - Practical code samples.