SOMA

State-Oriented Machine Algebra (SOMA) — a minimalistic computational model based on explicit state and mutation, deliberately counterpointing type-centric alternatives.

SOMA treats programs as explicit state-transforming machines with mutable state, visible memory, and observable execution. Blocks are first-class values, not functions. Execution is explicit via >. There are no hidden stacks, no return semantics, no exceptions.

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the docs/ folder:

• Language Specification - Complete SOMA v1.1 specification
• Programming Idioms - Best practices, common patterns, and anti-patterns
• Examples - Working SOMA programs
• Comparisons - SOMA vs Forth, Haskell, Lambda Calculus, and others

Examples

The examples/ directory contains complete, runnable SOMA programs demonstrating real-world applications:

Markdown Extension (examples/markdown/)

A complete markdown document generator showcasing:

• Extension system - Pure SOMA implementation with Python FFI builtins
• State machine architecture - Document building via Store-based state
• Void sentinel pattern - Clean AL draining without explicit terminators
• Nesting stack - Arbitrary depth list nesting with two-phase rendering
• Stack-based composition - Inline formatters naturally compose

Features:

• Headings (H1, H2, H3, H4)
• Paragraphs with multi-line support
• Lists (ordered & unordered) with arbitrary nesting
• Inline formatting (bold, italic, inline code, links)
• Blockquotes (single and multi-line)
• Code blocks (with optional syntax highlighting)
• Tables with column alignment
• Horizontal rules

python3 examples/markdown/run_example.py

Generated Output: See examples/markdown/output.md for a comprehensive demo document

See examples/markdown/README.md for complete documentation including:

• All supported markdown features
• SOMA syntax examples
• Architecture patterns and design decisions
• Test coverage (30 tests, 100% passing)

Sin Calculator (examples/sin_calculator/)

A Taylor series implementation of sin(x) showcasing:

• Scaled integer arithmetic - Simulating decimal precision using 10^10 scale factor
• >chain iteration - Taylor series convergence with tail-call optimization
• Unicode string escapes - Proper formatting with \28\( and \29\) characters
• Store-based state - Clean iteration without complex context-passing

python3 examples/sin_calculator/run_soma_sin.py

Output:

sin(0°) = 0.0000000000
sin(30°) = 0.5000000001
sin(45°) = 0.7071067814
sin(90°) = 1.0000000010

See examples/sin_calculator/README.md for complete documentation including:

• How to read SOMA code
• Detailed walkthrough of the implementation
• Accuracy analysis and design decisions

Testing

SOMA has a comprehensive test suite covering both FFI built-ins and the standard library.

Running the Full Test Suite

To run all SOMA tests:

python3 tests/run_soma_tests.py

Expected output:

============================================================
SOMA Test Suite
============================================================

============================================================
📄 01_ffi_builtins.soma
============================================================
  ✓ True constant
  ✓ False constant
  ... (24 tests total)

============================================================
📄 02_stdlib.soma
   (with stdlib)
============================================================
  ✓ not with True
  ✓ not with False
  ... (41 tests total)

============================================================
📄 03_*.soma files
   (idioms and patterns)
============================================================
  ✓ Context passing patterns
  ✓ Looping with >chain
  ✓ Store vs Register usage
  ... (237 tests total)

============================================================
Summary: 302/302 tests passed
============================================================
✓ All tests passed!

Test Organization

• tests/soma/01_ffi_builtins.soma - Tests for FFI primitives (24 tests)

  • Boolean constants (True, False, Nil, Void)
  • Comparison operators (<, >, ==, !=, etc.)
  • Arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /, %)
  • Type predicates (isVoid, isNil)
  • Type conversions (toString, toInt)
  • I/O operations (print, readLine)

• tests/soma/02_stdlib.soma - Tests for standard library operations (41 tests)

  • Boolean logic (not, and, or)
  • Comparison operators (>, ==, !=, <=, >=)
  • Stack manipulation (dup, drop, swap, over, rot)
  • Arithmetic helpers (inc, dec, abs, min, max)
  • Control flow (times, if, ifelse, while, do)

• tests/soma/03_*.soma - Tests for idioms and patterns (237 tests)

  • Context-passing idiom (_. → !_. pattern)
  • Execution scope vs lexical scope
  • Looping with >chain (tail-call optimization)
  • Store vs Register usage
  • >choose patterns (values vs blocks)
  • Self-referencing blocks
  • Complete examples (Collatz, Fibonacci, counters, etc.)

Running Python Unit Tests

To run the Python implementation tests:

python3 -m pytest tests/test_*.py -v

Or run individual test modules:

python3 -m pytest tests/test_vm.py -v       # VM implementation tests
python3 -m pytest tests/test_parser.py -v   # Parser tests
python3 -m pytest tests/test_lexer.py -v    # Lexer tests

Success Criteria

• All 302 SOMA tests must pass
• All Python unit tests must pass
• No errors or exceptions during execution

Test File Format

SOMA test files use a simple format:

) TEST: Description of what is being tested
) EXPECT_AL: [expected, values, on, AL]
) EXPECT_OUTPUT: expected printed output (optional, can be multiple lines)

... SOMA code to execute ...

Multiple tests can exist in a single .soma file. The test runner:

1. Loads soma/stdlib.soma for stdlib tests
2. Executes each test independently
3. Verifies the AL matches EXPECT_AL
4. Verifies printed output matches EXPECT_OUTPUT lines

Debugging Failed Tests

Run with verbose mode to see full test source:

python3 tests/run_soma_tests.py -v

This shows the SOMA source code for any failing tests.