3.3.2 Definers

Definers are used to define new global values. Standard L cocytus package provides several standard definers:

L's style encourage creation of new definer. For instance, imagine that you are developping a PCI device driver interface. Then, a device driver should look like:

     pci_device_driver my_driver
     {
       name: "my-driver";
       probe: my_probe_function;
       remove: my_remove_function;
       suspend: my_suspend_function;
       resume: my_resume_function;
     }
     
     Error_Code my_probe_function(Pci_Info inf)
     { ... }

Any change of interface would be immediately known at compile time: for instance, if a suspend is deprecated, the definer can warn the developper when it is called; and so on.

UNIMPLEMENTED This is also how Cocytus backends should be declared:

     Cocytus_Backend pretty_GNU_C_backend
     {
       let: pgc_compile_let;
       =: pgc_compile_assign;
     
     }

A warning or error message could then be issued when a Cocytus backend does not follow a change in Cocytus; or does not fully implement it for instance.

Finally, the ability to add new definers make it possible to transform L into a declarative language, or more generally use declarative constructs, so writing what you want to have instead of writing how to obtain it.