Draft:Coalton (programming language): Difference between revisions

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{{AFC comment|1=Looks like a cool project, but I'm not seeing independent evidence of notability. Please ping me if you disagree. [[User:Caleb Stanford|Caleb Stanford]] ([[User talk:Caleb Stanford|talk]]) 19:25, 10 August 2025 (UTC)}}

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{{Short description|Statically typed dialect of Lisp}}

{{Draft topics|software|computing|technology}}

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'''Coalton''' is a [[functional programming|functional]], [[static typing|statically typed]], [[General-purpose programming language|general-purpose]] [[programming language]] embedded in [[Common Lisp (programming language)|Common Lisp]]. Its type system is similar to Haskell's, but evaluation is strict like Standard ML or OCaml. [[Metaprogramming]] is supported through traditional Lisp [[Macro (computer science)|macros]]. Coalton focuses on performance through efficient data representation and compiler optimization.<ref>{{cite web | title=Toward safe, flexible, and efficient software in Common Lisp - European Lisp Symposium 2025 | website=[[YouTube]] | date=20 May 2025 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of92m4XNgrM }}</ref>.

''Coalton'' refers to both the language and its implementation, and remains under active, open-source development as of July 2025<ref>https://github.com/coalton-lang/coalton</ref>.

''Coalton'' refers to both the language and its implementation, and remains under active, open-source development as of July 2025<ref>{{cite web | title=Coalton | website=[[GitHub]] | url=https://github.com/coalton-lang/coalton }}</ref>.

== History ==

Robert Smith started designing Coalton in 2018<ref>{{cite web | title=Deprecated-coalton-prototype/Thoughts.md at master · stylewarning/Deprecated-coalton-prototype | website=[[GitHub]] | url=https://github.com/stylewarning/deprecated-coalton-prototype/blob/master/thoughts.md }}</ref> to import the benefits of [[ML (programming language)|ML]]-like static typing into the interactive, incremental programming environment of Common Lisp. Coalton was further developed by a team led by Smith and was officially announced in 2021<ref>{{cite web | title=Introducing Coalton: How to Have Our (Typed) Cake and (Safely) Eat It Too, in Common Lisp | date=10 September 2021 | url=https://coalton-lang.github.io/20211010-introducing-coalton/ }}</ref>. Coalton has since been used for quantum computing research, the implementation of the [[Quil (instruction set architecture)|Quil]] compiler<ref>{{cite web | title=Using Coalton to Implement a Quantum Compiler | date=6 September 2022 | url=https://coalton-lang.github.io/20220906-quantum-compiler/ }}</ref>, and defense applications.

Coalton is used<ref>{{cite web | title=APS -2023 APS March Meeting - Event - A language-oriented approach to exchange-only silicon dot qubit software | volume=68, 3 | url=https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR23/Session/F70.8 }}</ref> at [[HRL Laboratories]] for building software for qubits based on exchange-only [[Silicon quantum dot|silicon dots]].

== Features ==

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* Advanced [[Immutable object|immutable]] data structures including [[hash array mapped tries]] and relaxed radix balanced trees.

* Machine code compilation (on Lisp hosts that support it).

* Compiler optimizations including heuristic [[Inline expansion|inlining]] and user-controlledcontrollable inlining with the <code>inline</code> directive.

* User-controllable function [[monomorphization]] with the <code>monomorphize</code> directive.

* User-controllercontrollable data type representation control with the <code>repr</code> directive.

* Separate development and release modes. Release mode enables greater compiler optimization opportunities at the expense of development interactivity.

* Non-[[Memory allocation|allocating]] <code>Optional</code> data type (cf. Haskell's <code>Maybe</code> or OCaml's <code>Option</code>).

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== Criticisms ==

An often-stated disadvantage ofWhen Coalton is thatwritten theas embeddinga requirespart aof somewhat<code>.lisp</code> cumbersomefiles, it requires wrapping ofthe Coalton code in <code>coalton</code> or <code>coalton-toplevel</code> expressions,macros. This detractingdetracts from the directincremental anddevelopment interactive naturestyle of Common Lisp.<ref>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35704441</ref>.

A more serious criticism is that Hindley-Milner type systems are unsound when mutation is allowed,<ref>{{cite andjournal Coalton&mdash;by|last1=Wright virtue|first1=Andrew of|title=Simple allowingimperative Lisppolymorphism code|journal=LISP toand beSymbolic embeddedComputation in|date=1995 its|volume=8 code&mdash;|issue=4 allows|pages=343–355 mutation<ref>|doi=10.1007/BF01018828 |url=https://githublink.springer.com/coalton-langarticle/coalton10.1007/issues/84BF01018828 |access-date=10 August 2025}}</ref>., Theand Coalton authorsallows acceptmutation. thisSeveral shortcomingfixes asto athe trade-offtype forinference thealgorithm practicalhave advantagesbeen thatproposed.<ref>{{cite thisweb brings,| allowingtitle=Certain mutationcombinations isof partpolymorphism ofand themutation Commoncan Lisplead cultureto andtype-unsoundness most· developersIssue know#84 how· tocoalton-lang/Coalton safely| dealwebsite=[[GitHub]] with| iturl=https://github.com/coalton-lang/coalton/issues/84 }}</ref>

== References ==