Lox Interpreter

This project is a Java implementation of the Lox interpreter, built as part of the Codecrafters "Build your own Interpreter" challenge. The challenge follows the book Crafting Interpreters by Robert Nystrom.

Overview

Lox is a simple scripting language. This interpreter project covers various aspects of language implementation, including tokenization, parsing, and interpreting the abstract syntax tree (AST).

Features

• Tokenization – Scanner converts source code into tokens (keywords, identifiers, literals, operators).
• Parsing – Parser converts tokens into an AST, handling expressions and statements.
• AST – Expr and Stmt define the structure of Lox code.
• Interpretation – Interpreter walks the AST to execute code (variables, functions, control flow).
• Error Handling – Handles syntax and runtime errors.
• Environment & Scope – Environment manages nested scopes for variables and functions.
• Function Calls – Function supports parameter passing and return values.
• Native Functions – Includes clock to return the current time.

Usage

Running the Interpreter Locally

To run the interpreter locally, use the your_program.sh script:

your_program.sh run <filename>

Commands

Command	Description
tokenize <filename>	Tokenizes the source code and prints the tokens.
parse <filename>	Parses the source code and prints the AST.
evaluate <filename>	Evaluates a single expression and prints the result.
run <filename>	Runs the entire Lox program.

Example

To run a Lox program:

your_program.sh run test.lox

Acknowledgments

• This project follows the book Crafting Interpreters by Robert Nystrom. Special thanks to Codecrafters for providing the challenge.
• For more details, visit the Codecrafters Challenge page.