7003926eda
RFC 0001 proposes a normative, implementation-independent Clojure language spec (the reader, evaluation model, special forms, data types, seq/laziness contracts, namespaces/vars, and the portable clojure.core surface) to the standard of R7RS/Racket — Clojure has none, and every alternative implementation re-derives semantics from the reference and folklore. The spec is executable-first: every numbered normative statement cites its conformance test or is marked UNVERIFIED. docs/spec/ carries the front matter (conformance terms, entry format, host classification), the special-form catalog with worked normative entries for if and let*, the core-library entry format with worked entries for first, reduce, and parse-uuid, and a generated coverage dashboard over the 694-var ClojureDocs inventory (tools/spec_coverage.py cross-references the surface against jolt's interned+resolvable vars and the test suites). Measured baseline: 380 implemented+tested, 154 implemented-untested, 35 portable-but-missing (filed), 22 resolvable-but-not-interned (filed — seed fns invisible to resolve/ns-publics), rest classified host/JVM/concurrency.
87 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
87 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
# Clojure Language Specification — Front Matter
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**Edition**: Draft 1 · **Describes**: Clojure 1.12 (reference) · **Status**: in progress
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This document specifies the Clojure programming language independently of any
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implementation. See `docs/rfc/0001-language-specification.md` for motivation,
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process, and scope.
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## 1. Conformance terminology
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The key words **MUST**, **MUST NOT**, **SHOULD**, **SHOULD NOT**, and **MAY**
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are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.
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- A statement marked **MUST** is normative: a conforming implementation
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exhibits exactly this behavior, and the conformance suite tests it.
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- **implementation-defined** marks behavior a conforming implementation must
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document but may choose (e.g. the concrete error type thrown where the
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reference throws a JVM exception class).
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- **host-defined** marks behavior delegated to the host platform (e.g. what
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`slurp` accepts as a source).
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- **⚠ reference-divergence** marks a place where this spec deliberately
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differs from observed reference behavior, with rationale; the reference
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behavior is always recorded alongside.
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## 2. Classification of the core surface
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Every `clojure.core` var carries exactly one classification (dashboard:
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`coverage.md`):
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| Class | Meaning | Spec treatment |
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|---|---|---|
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| **portable** | semantics independent of host | full normative entry (§9) |
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| **host-dependent** | portable *interface*, host-defined behavior | interface entry; behavior host-defined |
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| **JVM-specific** | meaningful only on the JVM | catalogued in Appendix; not specified |
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Initial classifications are mechanical and reviewable; reclassification is an
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ordinary spec change.
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## 3. The normative entry format
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Each special form (§3) and portable var (§9) is specified as:
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```
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### name — since <version>
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(signature ...) (signature ...)
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Semantics
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S1. <numbered normative statement, MUST/SHOULD/MAY>
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S2. ...
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Edge cases
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E1. <nil / empty / bounds / wrong-type behavior — normative>
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Errors
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X1. <what MUST throw; error TYPE is implementation-defined unless stated>
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Examples
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<executable; verified against the reference; sourced from ClojureDocs
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where community-validated>
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Conformance
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S1 → <suite>/<test id>; E1 → ... (statements without a test: UNVERIFIED)
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```
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The **Conformance** field is load-bearing: every numbered statement names the
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test(s) that verify it. A normative statement with no test is labeled
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`UNVERIFIED` and is a defect in the spec.
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## 4. Evidence and verification
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Behavioral questions are settled in this order: differential testing against
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the reference implementation → cross-dialect agreement in clojure-test-suite
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→ ClojureDocs community examples (verified before inclusion) → reference
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source (for intent). Conformance tests live in this repository
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(`test/integration/conformance-test.janet` runs each assertion through three
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independent execution paths) and in the cross-dialect clojure-test-suite.
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## 5. Chapter plan
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| § | File | Status |
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|---|---|---|
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| 1 | `01-evaluation.md` | planned |
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| 2 | `02-reader.md` | planned (first: jank's reader corpus gives conformance shape) |
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| 3 | `03-special-forms.md` | **exemplars written** (`if`, `let*`); catalog complete |
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| 4 | `04-data-types.md` | planned (numeric-tower design note required) |
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| 5 | `05-sequences.md` | planned (laziness contract from jolt Phase-5 work) |
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| 6 | `06-namespaces-vars.md` | planned |
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| 7 | `07-polymorphism.md` | planned |
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| 8 | `08-macros.md` | planned |
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| 9 | `09-core-library.md` | **exemplars written** (`first`, `reduce`, `parse-uuid`) |
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| A | `coverage.md` | **generated** (regenerate: `python3 tools/spec_coverage.py`) |
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