Textwire v2.1.0 Release Notes

The Textwire version v2.0.0 brought us an ability to define custom functions and had lots of code refactoring and improvements. I'm very happy to introduce Textwire version v2.1.0 with new built-in functions, improved error handling, and other improvements.

15 New Built-in Functions

4 New array functions

Textwire is very young but it's growing. I'm happy to introduce 3 new built-in functions for array literals. You can read more about them in the array functions documentation. Here is the short overview of them:

• rand() - Returns a random element from an array
• reverse() - Reverses the elements of an array and returns a new array
• slice(start: int, end?: int) - Returns a portion of an array
• shuffle() - Shuffles the elements of an array and returns a new array

2 New integer functions

Read more about them in the integer functions documentation.

• abs(): int - Returns the absolute value of an integer. If the integer is negative, it will return the positive value of it
• str(): str - Converts an integer to a string and returns it

5 New float functions

Read more about them in the float functions documentation.

• abs(): float - Returns the absolute value of a float. If the float is negative, it will return the positive value of it
• ceil(): int - Returns the rounded up value of a float to the nearest integer
• floor(): int - Returns the rounded down value of a float to the nearest integer
• round(): int - Rounds a float to the nearest integer. 1.5 -> 2, 1.4 -> 1, 1.6 -> 2
• str(): str - Returns converted float to a string

3 New string functions

Read more about them in the string functions documentation.

• capitalize(): bool - Capitalizes the first letter of a string
• reverse(): bool - Reverses the characters of a string
• contains(substr: str): bool - Returns true if a string contains a substring, otherwise false

1 New boolean function

Read more about it in the boolean functions documentation.

• binary(): int - Returns an integer 1 if the receiver is true, 0 otherwise

Improvements

Regarding improvements, I placed a strong emphasis on proper error handling. I cannot overstate the importance of having effective error handling in place when things go wrong. Receiving clear and detailed error messages is crucial for success. Here are the enhancements introduced in version v2.1.0:

• 🐛 Fixed Bug with Prefix Expression Precedence: Resolved an issue where prefix expressions like {{ -1.abs() }} were not being processed correctly. Previously, the parser evaluated the expression as {{ (-(1.abs())) }}, resulting in an incorrect output of -1. Now, the parser correctly handles the precedence, evaluating it as {{ ((-1).abs()) }}.
• 🧑‍💻 Enhanced Error Handling for Built-in Functions: Improved error messages when an incorrect argument type is passed to a built-in function. Users will now receive clear error messages indicating the type mismatch.
• 🧑‍💻 Enhanced Error Handling for Custom Functions: If a function is called on a type where it doesn’t exist, Textwire now provides a detailed error message specifying that the function is undefined for that type. For example, an error message might read: [Textwire ERROR in /var/www/html/templates/home.tw.html:3]: function 'some' doesn't exist for type 'STRING'.
• 🧑‍💻 Enhanced Error Handling for Division by Zero: Improved error messages for division-by-zero cases, replacing previous vague messages with more meaningful ones.
• 🧑‍💻 New error page while rendering a template. Instead of black screen we now get a simple error page with Sorry! We’re having some trouble right now. Please check back shortly. You can find more information here

New error page:

Other changes

Some very small changes were made to the Textwire that don't effect any functionality. Here are they:

• 📝 Remove CONTRIBUTING.md file that was added in v2.0.0. It doesn't have any important information, it's better to make a better one in the future

Conclusion

Version v2.1.0 of Textwire brings a host of new built-in functions, improved error handling, and other enhancements. I hope you enjoy using Textwire as much as I enjoy developing it. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm always happy to help. Thank you for your continued support and feedback. Stay tuned for more updates and improvements in the future. Happy coding! 🚀

What's next?

In the next version, I'll focus on further improvements to the language, including new built-in functions, better error handling, more tests, and the ability to define a custom error page for templates. Stay tuned for more updates and improvements in the future. Happy coding! 🚀