Interactive Shell (REPL)

Run ccolon with no arguments to start the interactive shell:

$ ccolon
CColon v1.2.0 - Interactive Mode
Type 'exit' to quit.

c: >

Basics

You can type any CColon statement or expression directly:

c: > import console
c: > var int x = 42
c: > console.println(x.tostring())
42
c: > x = x + 8
c: > console.println(x.tostring())
50

When you type a line that opens a block with {, the REPL waits for the closing } before executing:

c: > function square(int n) int {
...      return n * n
...  }
c: > console.println(square(7).tostring())
49

The ... prompt indicates that the REPL is waiting for more input.

Variables, functions, and imports persist across lines within the same session. Define a function once and call it as many times as you want.

The REPL supports tab completion for keywords, module names, and common identifiers.

Command history is saved to ~/.ccolon_history and persists between sessions. Use the up/down arrow keys to navigate previous entries.

Type exit or press Ctrl+D to quit. Press Ctrl+C to cancel the current input.