stof

name	stof
description	> Use when this capability is needed.

Stof Skill

Stof (Standard Transformation and Organization Format) is a data format first — a superset of JSON that adds functions, unit types, semantic versions, attributes, schemas, and prototypes. A Stof document is a portable, sandboxed artifact that carries its own logic.

Mental model: A document is a graph of named nodes (objects), connected in a DAG. Each node points to N data components — fields, functions, images, PDFs, or any other serializable data. Internally this is a flat list of nodes and a flat list of data with pointers between them, so moving objects around involves no copies. Navigate nodes with dot-path syntax. self = current node, super = parent node, root = document root.

---

Fields

Stof is a superset of JSON — valid JSON is always valid Stof.

// All equivalent declaration styles
"message": "value"           // JSON style
message: "value"             // shorthand (no quotes on key)
str message: "value"         // with explicit type
str message: "value",        // optional comma
str message: "value";        // optional semicolon (trailing ok)
const str message: "value"   // const (immutable) field
list! alt_ids: []            // not-null type — throws on null assign
obj metadata: null           // nullable field

String literals:

'single quotes'
"double quotes"
`backtick template: ${expr} and ${self.field}`   // string interpolation
r#"raw string — no escape processing, great for embedded Stof/JSON"#

Field access modifiers:

#[readonly]
read_only_field: 42         // can be read anywhere, throws 'FieldReadOnlySet' on write

#[private]
private_field: 'secret'     // only visible to the object it's defined on (not children, not parents)

#[readonly] and #[private] can be combined with any other attributes.

const at document level:

const const_field: 'hello, there'   // same as const inside a function — throws 'AssignConst' on write

Note: const on a local variable (const var = 'hello') does not make the field it's later assigned to const — self.mydyfield = var creates a normal mutable field.

Typed union and tuple fields:

bool | int union_field: true         // accepts bool or int; other types are cast to first matching type
(str, ver) tup_field: ('hi', 1.0.0)  // tuple field with explicit element types

When assigning a value outside the union, it is cast to the first matching type:

union_field = 42;     // fine — int is in the union
union_field = false;  // fine — bool is in the union
union_field = 'hi';   // 'hi' is not in union, cast to bool → true

Absolute path access:

// Fields and functions are reachable by their full dot-path from root
root.Lang.Fields.MyType.field.push_back('hello');

// <> shorthand also accepts dot-paths
<Fields.MyType>.field.push_back('bob');

Field values can be expressions, including unit arithmetic:

cm height: 6ft + 2in         // unit arithmetic, stored in declared unit
MiB memory: 2GB + 50GiB      // unit conversion
ms ttl: 300s                 // time unit
ms reset_inc: 30days         // days are valid time units
ver version: 0.5.24          // semantic version literal
ver version: 4.5.6-release+build   // semver with pre-release and build metadata

Nested objects:

server: {
    port: 8080
    address: "localhost"

    fn url() -> str {
        `https://${self.address}:${self.port}`
    }
}

---

Functions

Functions are first-class data, attached to objects just like fields, and referenced via dot-path. self = the object the function lives on; super = parent; root = document root.

// Standard declaration — return type uses ->
fn add(a: float, b: float) -> float {
    a + b   // last expression without ; is the implicit return value
}

// With explicit return
fn greet(name: str = "world") -> str {
    return `Hello, ${name}!`
}

// Optional parameter (? suffix — may be null/absent)
fn create(id: str!, expires?: ms) { }

// Union type parameter
fn allow(value: float | str = 0) -> bool {
    if ((typeof value) == 'str') value = value as float;
    value > 0
}

Return value rules:

• Last expression without ; = implicit return
• return expr; = explicit early return
• A void function (no ->) must not have a bare expression as its last line — add ; to suppress: assert(true) is fine, but 42 alone errors
• A -> str function that ends with 42; (semicolon present) errors — the ; consumed the value so nothing was returned

fn no_stmt() -> str { 'hello, world' }         // implicit return ✓
fn ret_stmt() -> str { return 'hello, world'; } // explicit return ✓

fn void_fn() { assert(true) }  // fine — assert returns void

// Errors: void fn, but 42 is a bare expression (implicit return in void fn)
fn not_void() { 42 }

// Errors: -> str declared, but 42; has semicolon so nothing is returned
fn no_ret() -> str { 42; }

Arrow functions:

// Stored as a named field using fn keyword
fn func: (a: int, b: int) -> int => a + b;

// Stored as a plain field (no fn keyword)
double: (x: int): int => x * 2
stacked: () -> str => { super.exists }
async_fn: async (): void => {}

// Arrow function as a local variable
let func = (): int => { return 53; };
func()   // → 53

// Arrow functions capture self from their owning object
const created = new {
    visit: (): obj => self;   // self = created
};
created.visit()   // → created

// Immediately-invoked expression
const res = ((a: int): int => a + 42)(10);   // → 52

// .call() on an inline expression
const res = ((a: int): int => a + 42).call(10);

Named parameters (keyword arguments):

fn func(a: int, b: int) -> int { a + b }
func(b = 30, a = 12)   // → 42

this — the function refers to itself; also used for recursion:

fn fibonacci(n: int) -> int {
    if (n <= 1) { n }
    else { this.call(n - 1) + this(n - 2) }
}

fn quicksort(arr: list, low: int = 0, high: int = null) {
    if (high == null) high = arr.len() - 1;
    if (low < high) {
        this(arr, low, idx - 1);
        this(arr, idx + 1, high);
    }
}

Async:

Stof is single-threaded but async by default. Every function can use await regardless of whether it's marked async — await on a non-promise is a passthrough. The async keyword (and #[async] attribute — they're identical) simply spawns a new process.

Promise<T> is optional as a type annotation — it matches its inner type, so most code never needs to write Promise<str> explicitly.

// async keyword and #[async] attribute are identical
async fn this_is_async() -> str { 'hello, async' }
#[async]
fn this_is_also_async() -> str { 'async is actually just an attribute' }

// ANY function can await — not just async ones
fn takes_promise_param(param: Promise<str>) -> str {
    await param   // fine in a non-async fn
}

// await is a passthrough on non-promises
await 'hello'   // → 'hello'
await 42         // → 42

// Call any expression as async — spawns a process and returns a promise
const promise = async self.some_regular_fn();
assert_eq(await promise, 578);

// Async block expression — returns a promise for the block's value
const res = async {
    return await async {
        let v = 7;
        v * 2
    };
};
assert_eq(typeof res, 'Promise<void>');  // unknown inner type = Promise<void>
assert_eq(await res, 14);

// Async block (fire and forget) — creates a new process, no handle needed
async {
    v.push_back('hello');
}

// Await a list of handles — returns a list of results
const results = await [self.fn_a(), self.fn_b()];
assert_eq(results, ['hello, async', 'async is also an attribute']);

// Collect handles and await all (void)
let handles = [];
for (const _ in 10) handles.push_back(async { let res = 10 * 10; });
await handles;

// Promise<T> type annotation — explicit but optional
async fn with_promise() -> Promise<str> { 'hello, promises' }

// Casting promises — cast the promise to change what it resolves to
let promise = (async { return '100'; }) as Promise<str>;
promise = promise as int;       // now resolves to int
assert_eq(await promise, 100);  // '100' cast to int on resolve

// Promise types match their inner type — async fns work where fn is expected
fn takes_fn(pointer: fn) -> int { pointer() }
let res = takes_fn(async (): int => 42);
assert_eq(await res, 42);

Special function attributes:

#[main]                  // run on document execution
#[main(42)]              // run with argument
#[init]                  // run once at end of parsing (parse context dropped)
#[test]                  // test function
#[test(expected_value)]  // parameterized test
#[errors]                // with #[test]: pass only if it throws
#[constructor]           // run automatically on new TypeName {}
#[dropped]               // run automatically when the object is drop()ed
#[run] / #[run(N)]       // ordered workflow execution via obj.run()
#[my_custom_attr]        // any string — pure metadata, readable at runtime

#[init] fires once when the parse context is dropped (end of file/import):

#[init]
fn initialization() {
    self.initialized = true;
}

Attributes are just metadata — any attribute name is valid. #[static] is a human convention signalling that a function doesn't use self/super, but any function can always be called by its dot-path regardless. Attributes are inspectable at runtime:

func.attributes()           // → {'custom': 42, 'test': null}
func.has_attribute('test')  // → true
this.attributes()           // read own attributes from inside the function

---

Attributes

Attributes attach metadata to fields and functions. Custom string attributes serve as event keys.

#[main]                        // run on document execution
#[main(42)]                    // run with argument 42
#[test]                        // test function
#[test(expected_value)]        // parameterized test
#[errors]                      // combined with #[test]: pass if it throws
#[type]                        // marks an object as a prototype
#[extends(self.OtherProto)]    // prototype inheritance
#[static]                      // callable on the prototype itself (not instances)
#[no-export]                   // exclude from export/stringify
#[type_ignore]                 // ignore when type-casting
#[readonly]                    // field can be read anywhere, but not written (throws 'FieldReadOnlySet')
#[private]                     // field only visible to the object it's defined on
#[schema(fn_expr)]             // field-level validation function
#[schema_optional]             // field not required for schema validation
#[field]                       // expose a function as a named field
#[run] / #[run(N)]             // ordered workflow execution via obj.run()
#[run({'args': [42]})]         // run with arguments
#[run({'prototype': 'none'|'first'|'last'})]  // control prototype run behavior
#[custom({'key': true})]       // arbitrary metadata
#[my-event-key]                // custom string — used for event dispatch

Read a function's own attributes with this.attributes():

fn my_func() {
    const attrs = this.attributes();  // e.g. {'test': null}
    const has = this.has_attribute('custom');
}

---

Types

Primitive types: bool, int, float, str, blob, obj, fn, null, unknown, void

Special types:

• ver — semantic version (0.5.24, 4.5.6-release+build)
• prompt — a tree of tagged strings for AI prompts; casts to/from str
• ms, ns — time durations; also s, min, hr, days
• Unit types (length): m, cm, km, ft, in, mi
• Unit types (mass): g, kg, mg, lb, oz
• Unit types (memory): bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB
• Unit types (angle): deg, rad
• Unit types (temperature): F, C, K

Collections: list / vec (array), map, set, tuple

Union types: float | str — field or parameter can hold either type.

Not-null modifier (!): str! id: '' — throws if null is ever assigned.

typeof vs typename:

typeof 54kg      // → 'float'   (the underlying primitive type)
typename 54kg    // → 'kg'      (the full type name including units/prototype)
typeof self.obj  // → 'obj'
typename self.obj // → 'MyProto' if the obj has a prototype

Casting:

value as float           // cast to float (works with unit strings like '12kg')
my_obj as Server         // cast to prototype
(limit.value as float)   // cast mid-expression
'34GB' as float          // parses to 34000MB
'0xff' as int            // parses hex → 255

Unit conversion:

10kg.to_units('g')          // → 10000 (as g)
val.to_units('float')       // clone preserving existing units
val.to_units('int')         // convert type but keep units
val.to_units(50mg)          // use another value's units as target
?val.to_units(stof_units) ?? val   // null-safe conversion

Blob literal:

const msg = |104, 101, 108, 108, 111|;   // pipe-delimited raw bytes

---

Literals & Constructors

// Collections
let a = [1, 2, 3];           // list
let m = {'a': 0, 'b': 1};    // map
let s = {1, 2, 3};           // set (curly + no colons)
let t = (32, true, 'hi');    // tuple

// Constructor functions
let a = list();              // empty list
let a = list(1, 2, 3);
let m = map(('a', 0), ('b', 1));
let s = set();
let s = set(1, 2, 3);

// Raw string (no escape processing)
const stof = r#"
    fn hello() { 'hello' }
"#;

// XML helper
xml('hello, world', 'msg')  // → '<msg>hello, world</msg>'

---

Prototypes (#[type])

Prototypes are named object templates for type-casting, schema validation, and structured creation.

#[type]
Customer: {
    str! id: '';
    str! plan: '';
    list! refs: [];
    obj! meters: {};
    obj metadata: null;

    fn greeting() -> str {
        `Hello, ${self.id}`
    }
}

<TypeName> — path shortcut to the prototype object. Can be a short name, a dot-path, or a self.super.-relative path:

<Customer>.schemafy(obj)                  // validate obj against Customer schema
<Point2D>.add(1, 2)                       // call a function on the prototype
<Point2D>.field                           // read a static field from the prototype
<Point2D>.field = 'new'                   // set a static field on the prototype
<Geometry.Point>                          // dot-path to disambiguate
<self.super.Geometry.Point2D>.add(1, 2)   // relative path
<Lang.Objects.Types.Geometry.Point>       // full absolute path

Typed fields on a prototype — if a field is declared with a prototype type, assigning a plain {} auto-casts it:

#[type]
SuperType: {
    SubType sub: new SubType {}    // field has a prototype type
    str msg: ''
}

// When creating an instance, a plain new {} assigned to a typed field gets auto-cast
const o = new SuperType {
    msg: 'hi',
    sub: new { one: 'ONE' }       // auto-cast to SubType, merging defaults
};
assert_eq(typename o.sub, 'SubType');
assert_eq(o.sub.two, 'two')        // default from SubType filled in

#[constructor] — runs automatically when a new instance is created. If the prototype extends another, the base constructor runs first:

#[type]
Point2D: {
    float x: 0;
    float y: 0;

    #[constructor]
    fn init() {
        self.isapoint = true;       // runs on every new Point2D {}
    }
}

#[type]
#[extends('Point2D')]              // extends by name string also works
Point: {
    float z: 0;

    #[constructor]
    fn init() {
        // Point2D constructor already ran (base-first order)
        self.initialized = true;
    }
}

const p = new Point { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 };
assert(p.isapoint);       // from Point2D constructor
assert(p.initialized);    // from Point constructor

#[dropped] — runs automatically when the object is dropped:

#[type]
Point: {
    #[dropped]
    fn on_drop() {
        super.point_dropped = true;   // notify parent before removal
    }
}

drop(point);                          // triggers #[dropped] functions
assert(parent.point_dropped);

Calling a specific prototype's method on an instance — method<ProtoName>():

// Call Point's length() override instead of Point2D's
point.length<Point2D>()    // dispatches to Point2D.length() with point as self

#[extends] — prototype inheritance. Accepts an object reference or a name string:

#[type]
#[extends(self.Point2D)]   // object reference
SubProto: { ... }

#[type]
#[extends('Point2D')]      // name string also works
SubProto: { ... }

#[static] — function callable on the prototype itself (not instances). self inside refers to the prototype object:

#[type]
Helpers: {
    str! last_error: '';

    #[static]
    fn error(msg: str!) -> bool {
        self.last_error = msg;
        false
    }
}
// Usage: <Helpers>.error("oops")

Constructor order with inheritance — base constructor always runs before subtype constructor:

#[type]
Base: {
    #[constructor]
    fn init() { self.order = 1; }
}

#[type]
#[extends(self.Base)]
Sub: {
    #[constructor]
    fn init() {
        assert(self.order == 1);   // Base ran first
        self.order = 2;
    }
}

Creating instances:

There are two equivalent styles for typed instantiation at document/object level:

Style A — TypeName fieldname: { ... } (preferred for clarity):

// Declare the type before the field name; the object literal is auto-cast to that prototype.
// Nested typed fields work the same way — no `new` keyword needed anywhere.
roster: {
    const Character aurora: {
        name:  'Aurora',
        class: 'Mage',
        level: 5,
        stats: {
            Stat STR: { name: 'Strength', base: 7  };
            Stat DEX: { name: 'Dexterity', base: 14 };
        };
        Resources resources: {
            max_hp: 48, current_hp: 48,
            max_mp: 120, current_mp: 90,
        };
        // Items in lists can be cast inline with `as Type`
        items: [
            { name: 'Arcane Staff', rarity: 'Rare', power: 3, equipped: true } as Item,
            { name: 'Mana Crystal', rarity: 'Uncommon', power: 0 } as Item,
        ];
    };
}

Style B — new TypeName { ... } / const name: new TypeName { ... }:

// Document-level typed instance — use COLON (:), not equals (=)
const aurora: new Character { name: 'Aurora' };   // ✓ colon syntax at document level
// const aurora = new Character { ... };          // ✗ = syntax does NOT work at document level

// Inside a function, = works fine for local variables:
fn example() {
    const c = new Character { name: 'Test' };     // ✓ = works in function scope
}

// new ... on parent_obj — attach to a specific parent
const customer = new Customer {
    id, plan, refs: refs ?? [],
} on self.customers;

Both styles trigger #[constructor] and auto-fill prototype defaults. Style A (type-before-name) is generally cleaner for nested documents.

// Shorthand: variable name as field name (punning)
const var = 42;
const object = new { var };         // → { var: 42 }

// Cast a field's type inline in new {}
const object = new { str non_str }; // non_str is cast to str

// new {} on target — lives under target node
const plan = new {} on self.plans;

// Prototype as typed field on another object
Point pointed_field: { x: 42, y: 42, z: 42 }  // auto-cast to Point

// Pass prototype instances as typed parameters
fn add(first: Point, second: Point) -> Point {
    new Point { x: first.x + second.x; y: first.y + second.y }
}

// Parse then cast
const sub = new {} on self.customers;
parse(stof_string, sub, 'stof');
sub as Customer;

// Inline type cast on variable declaration
const ent: Entitlement = plan.entitlements.get(name);

// Cast inside a list
objects: [
    { value: 'first' } as NestedProto,
    { value: 'second' } as NestedProto,
]

// Programmatic prototype management
obj.create_type('MyType');           // register obj as a named prototype
obj.set_prototype('MyType');         // assign prototype by name
obj.remove_prototype();              // remove prototype relationship
obj.instance_of('MyType');           // check membership (returns bool)
obj.instance_of(proto_obj);          // check against an object reference
obj.prototype();                     // get the prototype object

new root {} — create a new document root node (not a child of anything):

// Inline syntax at document level — MyRoot is a root, not a field
root MyRoot {
    fn hello() -> str { 'hello' }
}
MyRoot.hello()   // → 'hello'

// Dynamic, guarded creation
if (!AnotherRoot) AnotherRoot = new root { root_obj: true };
assert(AnotherRoot.is_root());
assert_eq(AnotherRoot.parent(), null);

Custom object IDs — (id_string) after the opening brace sets the object's internal ID:

MyObj: { (my_custom_id)
    field: 42
}
assert_eq(MyObj.id(), 'my_custom_id');

root MyRoot { (custom_root_id)
    fn hello() -> str { 'hello' }
}
assert_eq(MyRoot.id(), 'custom_root_id');

---

Schemas

#[schema] validates fields when schemafy is called. Receives target_val (the field value) and optionally target (the containing object). Multiple schema attributes form a pipeline (all must pass, short-circuited like &&):

⚠️ #[schema] must be placed on a specific field, not on the prototype body itself. A #[schema] placed directly inside a #[type] block (not above a named field) will cause a syntax or runtime error. Each schema attribute decorates the field declared immediately below it:

#[type]
Limit: {
    // ✓ Correct — #[schema] is on the field 'mode'
    #[schema((v: str): bool => v == 'hard' || v == 'soft')]
    str! mode: 'hard';

    // ✗ Wrong — #[schema] floating in the prototype body, not on a field and must have type signatures
    #[schema((v) => v.level >= 1 && v.level <= 20)]
    // ...and then some other field follows — this is a parse error
}

#[type]
Limit: {
    // Inline lambda
    #[schema((target_val: str): bool => {
        set('hard', 'soft', 'observe').contains(target_val) ? true :
        <LimitrValidation>.error(`Invalid mode: "${target_val}"`)
    })]
    str! mode: 'hard';

    // Two-argument form: target (the object) + target_val (the field value)
    #[schema((target: obj, target_val: float): bool => {
        target_val >= 0 ? true : <LimitrValidation>.error(`Negative amount on ${target.label}`)
    })]
    float! amount: 0;

    // Pipeline: multiple schema attributes applied in order
    #[schema((target_value: unknown): bool => (typeof target_value) == 'str')]
    #[schema((target_value: str): bool => target_value.contains('Dude'))]
    str last: 'Doe';

    // Reference a static helper function
    #[schema(<Helpers>.valid_credit_id)]
    str! credit: '';

    // Optional field: only validated if present (not null)
    #[schema((target_val: obj): bool => <Price>.schemafy(target_val))]
    #[schema_optional]
    Price price: null;
}

Running schema validation:

<Limit>.schemafy(my_obj)                                        // returns bool
<Schema>.schemafy(target, remove_invalid = true, remove_undefined = true)  // with options
assert(<Server>.schemafy(self))

---

Variables & References

fn example() {
    let a = 32                     // implicit type
    let b: int = 43                // explicit type (casts if needed)
    const c = "immutable"

    // References — write-back on assignment (& on both sides)
    let &ref_a = &self.some_field
    ref_a = "new value"            // updates self.some_field

    // Reference to collection element
    let first = &a.front();
    first = 'yo';                  // mutates the list in place

    let mid = &a[1];
    mid = 42;

    // Swap via references
    swap(&a, &b);
    swap(&arr[i], &arr[j]);

    // copy() — deep copy that breaks reference
    let copy_of_a = copy(a);

    drop a                         // free variable
    drop self.field                // delete field from document
    drop(some_obj)                 // drop object node entirely
    drop('self.field1', 'self.field2')  // drop multiple by path string; returns [bool]
}

In-place mutation using & in for-in:

for (let i in &self.data) i *= 2    // mutates self.data in place

---

Null & Initialization

// Not-null types (throw on null assign)
str! id: ''
list! alt_ids: []
obj! meters: {}

// Null-coalescing (??) — returns left side if not null, else right
let x = null ?? "default"              // → "default"
let x = null ?? null ?? null ?? 'hi'  // → 'hi' (chains until non-null)
let x = false ?? 'hi'                 // → false  (?? only skips null, not falsy!)

// ?? with cast
let x = null as kg ?? 43 as g         // → 43000mg

// ? prefix — null-safe call chain (returns null instead of throwing)
const result = ?self.func_dne()        // null if func doesn't exist
const field  = self?.field?.another?.other  // null if any link is null
let result   = ?self.subobj.hello()   // null if subobj or hello() doesn't exist
let result   = ?&self.subobj.hellooo()  // for ref syntax, ? goes first

// Optional chaining with both styles
result = ?self?.subobj?.hello()        // both ? and ?. can be combined

// Ternary — falsy: 0, false, null all take the else branch
let y = x > 5 ? true : false
let x = 'hi' ? 42 : 50               // → 42 (non-empty string is truthy)
let x = 0 ? 'nope' : 'yup'           // → 'yup' (0 is falsy)

// Nested ternary + ?? in branch
let x = 0 ? 30 : true as int ? null ?? 76 : 'man'   // → 76

---

Control Flow

if / else

if (condition) {
    // ...
} else if (other) {
    // ...
} else {
    // ...
}

// Single-expression branches (no braces required)
if (x > 5) pln("big");
else pln("small");

// Falsy: 0, false, null are all falsy
if (0) { /* not reached */ }
if (!dev && !sub) { /* both falsy */ }

// Double-negation coerces to bool
assert(!!sub);
assert_eq(str(!!!!56), 'true');

⚠️ if is a statement, not an inline expression. For inline conditional values, use the ternary operator ?: — NOT if:

// ✓ Correct — ternary for inline values
let sign = mod >= 0 ? '+' : '';
let eq   = self.equipped ? ' [EQUIPPED]' : '';

// ✗ Wrong — if cannot be used as an inline value expression
let sign = if (mod >= 0) { '+' } else { '' };   // syntax error

Ternary

let y = x > 5 ? true : false;

// Nested ternary (right-associative)
let x = 0 ? 30 : true as int ? null ?? 76 : 'man';  // → 76

// ?? inside ternary branch
let val = condition ? null ?? fallback : other;

switch

// Basic switch — no implicit fallthrough between cases
switch (value) {
    case 'a': pln("got a");
    case 'b': {
        pln("got b");
    }
    default: pln("other");
}

// Multiple values fall into the same case (empty case = fallthrough to next)
switch ('d') {
    case 'a':
    case 'hello': { res = false; }
    case 'd':
    default: { res = true; }   // 'd' and default both run this
}

// switch as an expression — returns a value (no semicolon on return values)
let res = switch ('yo') {
    case 'yo': 42
    case 'other': 100
    default: 500
};    // → 42

// switch on mixed types
switch (value) {
    case null:   result -= 10;
    case true:   result += 10;
    case 42:     result += 22;
    case 'hello': result += 5;
    default:     result -= 100;
}

for-in

// Iterates values; built-in loop vars: first, last, index
for (const user in self.users) {
    if (first) pln("first:", user.name);
    if (last)  pln("last:", user.name);
    pln(index, user.name);
}

// Cast loop variable on the fly
for (const val: kg in self.iterator) total += val;  // each val cast to kg

// Typed loop variable from prototype
for (const sub: Container in self.subs) {
    const i: str = index + 1;
    text.push(`${i}. ${sub.out()}\n`);
}

// for-in over obj.fields() gives (key, value) pairs
for (const pair in self.plans.fields()) {
    const name = pair[0];
    const plan: Plan = pair[1];
}

// for-in over a number iterates 0..N
for (let i in 10) pln(i);    // 0, 1, ..., 9

// for-in with ref (in-place mutation)
for (let val in &list) val += 2;   // mutates each element

// C-style for loop
for (let j = 0; j < high; j += 1) { ... }

// return from inside for-in
async fn find_last() -> int {
    for (const val in self.iterator) {
        if (last) return val;
    }
    -1
}

Custom iterators

Any object with len() and at(index) methods can be iterated with for-in:

iterator: {
    len: (): int => 10
    at: (index: int): int => index
}

for (let x in self.iterator) { pln(x); }   // 0..9

Range

let arr = 0..10|2;   // [0, 2, 4, 6, 8]  (start..end|step)

while / loop

while (condition) { ... }

loop {
    if (done) break;
}

break / continue / return in loops

// break / continue work in all loop types
while (i < 200) {
    if (i > 100) break;
    i += 1;
}

for (let i = 0; i < 10; i += 1) {
    if (i < 1) continue;
    // ...
}

// return from inside a loop exits the function
fn loop_ret() -> int {
    let i = 0;
    while (i < 10) {
        if (i > 5) return i;
        i += 1;
    }
    return -1;
}

Tagged break / continue (labeled loops)

Use ^label to break or continue an outer loop from an inner one:

^outer while (i < 10) {
    let j = 0;
    while (j < 10) {
        if (i >= 5 && j >= 5) break ^outer;   // exits the outer loop
        j += 1;
    }
    i += 1;
}

^outer while (i < 10) {
    i += 1;
    let j = 0;
    while (j < 10) {
        if (j > 5) continue ^outer;   // skips to next outer iteration
        j += 1;
        total += i + j;
    }
}

// Also works on for-in loops
^loop for (const val in self.iterator) {
    for (let i = 10; i > 0; i -= 1) {
        if (i < 4) { res = true; break ^loop; }
    }
}

---

Error Handling

// try/catch — catch any error
try { risky_call(); }
catch { /* any error, no value */ }

// Catch a typed value
try throw(42);
catch (val: int) res = val;

try throw({42, 78, 'hi'});
catch (error: unknown) {
    assert_eq(error, {42, 78, 'hi'});
}

// Single-expression try/catch (no braces)
try assert(false);
catch { caught = true; }

// try as an expression — the value of the taken branch is the result
const func = (): int => {
    try { 42 }
    catch { 72 }
};   // → 42

// Nested try/catch — rethrow by throwing in the catch block
try {
    try { throw('hello') }
    catch (e: str) { throw(e + ', world'); }
} catch (e: str) {
    caught = e;   // → 'hello, world'
}

// return from inside try works normally
const func = (): int => {
    try { return 42; }
    catch { return 100; }
};

// throw any value — not just strings
throw('message');
throw(42);
throw({42, 78, 'hi'});

// Assertions
assert(condition)
assert_eq(a, b)
assert_neq(a, b)
assert_not(condition)
assert_null(val)

---

Object Operations (Obj library)

// Navigation
self.name()                         // name of this object ("MyObj")
self.path()                         // full path ("root.Parent.MyObj")
self.id()                           // unique internal ID string
self.parent()                       // parent object
self.root()                         // document root
self.is_root()                      // bool
self.children()                     // list of child objects
self.dist(other_obj)                // distance in the DAG
self.is_parent(child_obj)           // bool — is self a direct/indirect parent of child?
Obj.is_parent(parent, child)        // static form
self.exists()                       // bool — does this node still exist in the graph?

// Move (reparent)
obj.move(new_parent)                // reparent obj under new_parent (pointer update, no copy)

// Fields / functions
self.fields()                       // list of (key, value) pairs
self.funcs()                        // list of fn values on this obj
self.funcs('my_attr')               // list of fns with matching attribute
self.contains('field_name')         // bool
self.len()                          // number of fields
self.empty() / self.any()

// Insert / remove
self.insert('key', value)           // insert field by name
self.insert('sub.nested.key', val)  // creates sub-objects as needed
self.remove('key')                  // remove field (shallow by default)
self.remove('key', shallow = false) // remove field + its subtree

// Move / rename fields
self.move_field('old_name', 'new_name')         // rename field
self.move_field('self.src.field', 'dest.moved') // move between objects

// Attributes
self.attributes()                   // map of attributes on this object
self.attributes('field_name')       // map of attributes on a specific field

// Convert
self.to_map()                       // obj → map (field values, string keys only)
Obj.from_map(map)                   // map → obj
Obj.from_id(id_str)                 // look up object by internal ID

// Prototype management
self.create_type('TypeName')
self.set_prototype('TypeName')
self.remove_prototype()
self.instance_of('TypeName') / self.instance_of(proto_obj)
self.prototype()

// Object.run()
self.run()                          // run all #[run]-annotated fields/fns

---

List Operations

// Access
list.len()
list.at(idx)
list.front() / list.back()
list[idx]                   // index access
&list.front()               // mutable reference

// Modification
list.push_back(item)
list.push_front(item)
list.pop_back()             // removes and returns last
list.pop_front()
list.append(other)          // extend with another list
list.insert(idx, item)
list.replace(idx, item)
list.remove(idx)            // returns removed item
list.remove_first(val)      // remove first occurrence of value
list.remove_last(val)
list.remove_all(val)        // remove all occurrences; returns bool
list.clear()
list.reverse()
list.reversed()             // returns reversed copy

// Query
list.contains(val)
list.index_of(val)          // returns -1 if not found
list.empty() / list.any()
list.is_uniform()           // true if all elements are same type

// Sort
list.sort()
list.sort_by((a, b): int => ...)   // custom comparator; return -1/0/1

// Other
list.join(', ')             // join to string
list.to_uniform('kg')       // convert all elements to target units

---

Map Operations

// Maps use {'key': value} syntax
let m = {'a': 0, 'b': 1};
m.get('key')
m.insert('key', val)        // returns old value if replaced
m.remove('key')             // returns removed value
m.contains('key')
m.keys()                    // returns a set
m.values()                  // returns a list
m.len()
m.empty() / m.any()
m.first() / m.last()        // returns (key, value) tuple
m.at(idx)                   // returns (key, value) tuple
m.pop_first() / m.pop_last()
m.append(other)
m.clear()
// Iterate as (key, value) pairs:
for (const pair in m) { pair[0]; pair[1]; }
// Or: for (const pair in obj.fields()) { ... }

---

Set Operations

// Sets use {val1, val2} syntax (curly, no colons)
let s = {1, 2, 3};
s.insert(val)               // returns true if newly inserted
s.remove(val)               // returns removed value
s.contains(val)
s.len()
s.empty() / s.any()
s.first() / s.last()        // sets are ordered
s.at(idx)
s.pop_first() / s.pop_last()
s.append(other)
s.clear()
s.split(val)                // returns (before, after) tuple
s.union(other)
s.difference(other)
s.intersection(other)
s.symmetric_difference(other)
s.disjoint(other)           // true if no overlap
s.subset(other) / s.superset(other)
s.is_uniform()
s.to_uniform('kg')

---

String Operations

str.len()
str.at(idx)                 // character at index
str.first() / str.last()
str.push("append")
str.contains("sub")
str.starts_with("prefix")
str.ends_with("suffix")
str.index_of("sub")         // -1 if not found
str.replace("old", "new")   // returns new string, original unchanged
str.split(".")              // returns list
str.upper() / str.lower()
str.trim() / str.trim_start() / str.trim_end()
str.substring()             // clone
str.substring(start)        // from index to end
str.substring(start, end)   // slice [start, end)
str.matches(regex)          // bool — does it match the regex?
str.find_matches(regex)     // list of (match, start, end) tuples
// String can be iterated char by char:
for (const c in my_str) { ... }

⚠️ No str.repeat() — the String library does NOT have a repeat method. To repeat a character or string N times, write a manual loop or a helper function:

fn repeat(char: str, times: int) -> str {
    let out = '';
    for (let _ in times) out += char;
    out
}

---

Number Operations

val.abs()
val.sqrt() / val.cbrt()
Num.sqrt(x)                 // static form (also works as method)
val.floor() / val.ceil() / val.trunc() / val.fract()
val.signum()                // 1 or -1
val.exp() / val.exp2()
val.ln() / val.log()
val.pow(n)
val.round(decimals)
Num.atan2(y, x)

val.to_string()
val.hex() / val.oct() / val.bin()

// Units
val.has_units()             // bool
val.is_angle() / val.is_temp() / val.is_length() / val.is_mass() / val.is_time() / val.is_memory()
val.remove_units()          // strips units, leaves float
val.to_units('g')           // converts between compatible units
val.to_units('float')       // preserves units but strips type wrapper
val.to_units('int')         // converts to int (keep units)

// Numbers are iterable: for (const i in 10) → 0..9
// val.len() → val itself (as int); val.at(idx) → min(idx, val)

---

Tuple Operations

let t = (32, 43, true, 'hi');
t.len()
t[0] / t.at(0)              // index access
let inner = &t[1][0];       // mutable reference into nested tuple
inner = 'changed';

---

Semantic Version (ver) Operations

let v = 4.5.6-release+build;
v.major() / v.minor() / v.patch()
v.release()    // → 'release'
v.build()      // → 'build'
v.set_major(n) / v.set_minor(n) / v.set_patch(n)
v.set_release('str') / v.set_build('str')
v.clear_release() / v.clear_build()

---

Prompt Type

prompt is a tree of tagged strings, ideal for structured AI prompt management. It passes by reference (like a collection), and casts to/from str.

// Creation
const p = prompt();                      // empty
const p: prompt = 'hello';              // from string
const p = prompt('hello', 'greet');     // text + tag → <greet>hello</greet>
const p = prompt(tag = 'outer');        // tag only
const p = prompt('', 'outer',          // nested tree
    prompt('first', 'a'),
    prompt('second', 'b')
);

// As string
p as str                                // → '<greet>hello</greet>'
const s: str = p;                       // cast to str

// Mutation
p.push('more text')                     // append text
p.push('text', 'tag')                   // append tagged sub-prompt
p.push(other_prompt, 'tag')             // append prompt with tag override
p += prompt('more', 'tag')              // += works
p.pop()                                 // remove and return last
p.insert(idx, 'text')
p.replace(idx, 'text')
p.remove(idx)
p.reverse()
p.clear()                               // remove all children (keeps tag)

// Inspection
p.str()                                 // same as p as str
p.text()                                // raw text content (no tags)
p.tag()                                 // the tag string
p.prompts()                             // list of sub-prompts
p.len()                                 // number of sub-prompts
p.any() / p.empty()
p[idx]                                  // get sub-prompt by index
p.set_text('new text')
p.set_tag('new_tag')

---

Standard Library (Std / global)

All std functions work without a prefix (or with Std.):

// Output
pln(...)                    // print with newline
print(...)                  // print without newline
err(...)                    // print to stderr
dbg(...)                    // debug print

// Asserts (snake_case — current standard)
assert(cond)
assert_eq(a, b)
assert_neq(a, b)
assert_not(cond)
assert_null(val)

// Type inspection
typeof val                  // underlying primitive type name
typename val                // full type name (unit type or prototype name)
str(val)                    // cast any value to string (same as val as str)

// Serialization
stringify(format, obj)      // serialize to string ('json', 'toml', 'yaml', 'stof', 'stof:human', 'text', 'md', 'urlencoded', 'bytes')
blobify(format, obj)        // serialize to binary blob ('bstf', 'bytes')
parse(str_or_blob, obj, format)  // deserialize into object
parse(str)                  // parse into current context
format('stof')              // bool — is this format available?
Std.formats()               // set of available format names
format_content_type('stof') // → 'application/stof'

// Object creation
new {}
new TypeName { field: val } on parent
copy(val)                   // deep copy

// IDs
nanoid()                    // 21-char unique ID
nanoid(14)                  // N-char unique ID
Std.graph_id()              // internal graph ID

// Swap
swap(&a, &b)                // swap two values by reference
swap(a, b)                  // swap containers (no & needed for collections)

// Environment
env("KEY")                  // get env var
set_env("KEY", "val")       // set env var
remove_env("KEY")
env_vars()                  // map of all env vars

// Process control
sleep(100ms)
exit()                      // exit current process
exit(handle1, handle2)      // exit other async processes

// Libraries & formats
lib('Http')                 // bool — is this library available?
libs()                      // set of available library names

// Functions by attribute
funcs('my_attr')            // list of all fns in doc with matching attribute
funcs(attributes = key)     // same, key can be str/list/set

// Other
min(a, b, ...) / max(a, b, ...)
xml('text', 'tag')          // wrap text in XML tag → '<tag>text</tag>'
Std.callstack()             // list of currently executing functions

---

Md Library

The Md library provides utilities for working with Markdown content beyond basic format import/export.

Md.html(markdown_str)   // convert Markdown to HTML string
Md.json(markdown_str)   // convert Markdown to AST as JSON string (mdast format)

---

Time Library

Time.now()                  // current timestamp as ms
Time.now_ns()               // current timestamp as ns
Time.diff(start_ms)         // elapsed ms since start
Time.diff_ns(start_ns)      // elapsed ns
Time.sleep(20ms)            // same as global sleep()

// RFC formatting
Time.now_rfc3339()          // current time as RFC 3339 string
Time.from_rfc3339(str)      // parse RFC 3339 → ms timestamp
Time.to_rfc3339(ms)         // ms → RFC 3339 string
Time.now_rfc2822()
Time.from_rfc2822(str)
Time.to_rfc2822(ms)

// Arithmetic
time_a + 30days
time_a - time_b             // → ms difference
while ((now - started) > reset_inc) started += reset_inc;

---

Http Library

if (lib('Http')) {
    const resp = await Http.fetch('https://api.example.com/data');

    Http.success(resp)          // bool — 2xx status
    Http.client_error(resp)     // bool — 4xx
    Http.server_error(resp)     // bool — 5xx
    Http.text(resp)             // response body as string
    Http.size(resp)             // response size (castable to KiB, etc.)
    Http.parse(resp, new {})    // parse response body into an object

    // Parallel requests
    let handles = [];
    for (let i in 10) handles.push_back(Http.fetch(url));
    for (const response in await handles) { ... }
}

---

Blob Library

let b: blob = 'hello, world'    // assign string as blob
let b = |104, 101, 108, 108, 111|;  // raw byte literal (pipe-delimited)

b.len()                         // byte count
b.size()                        // as memory unit (e.g. 12bytes)
b[idx]                          // byte value at index

b.utf8()                        // blob → UTF-8 string
Blob.from_utf8('hello')         // string → blob

b.base64()                      // blob → base64 string
Blob.from_base64(str)           // base64 → blob

b.url_base64()                  // URL-safe base64
Blob.from_url_base64(str)

// Iterate bytes
for (const byte in b) { ... }

---

Age Encryption Library

if (lib('Age')) {
    const identity = Age.generate()            // generate key pair
    const public_key = identity.public()       // → str

    // Encrypt
    const bin = Age.blobify(public_key, 'stof', payload_obj)
    // or multiple recipients:
    const bin = Age.blobify([pub1, identity2], 'stof', payload_obj)

    // Decrypt
    const success = Age.parse(identity, bin, dest_obj, 'stof')

    drop(identity)                             // destroy key pair
}

---

Fn Library (Function Introspection)

Functions are values — you can store them, inspect them, call them dynamically, and rebind them.

// Get a function reference
const func = self.my_function;

// Introspection
func.id()                    // unique ID string
func.name()                  // → 'my_function'
func.data()                  // underlying Data handle
func.params()                // list of (name, type) tuples: [('a', 'int'), ('b', 'int')]
func.return_type()           // → 'int'
func.has_attribute('test')   // bool
func.attributes()            // map of all attributes
func.obj()                   // the primary object this fn is attached to
func.objs()                  // list of all objects this fn is attached to
func.is_async()              // bool

// Calling
func(5, 5)                   // direct call
func.call(5, 6)              // call method
Fn.call(func, 9, 2)          // static call via Fn lib
func.call_expanded([30, 12]) // expand a list as positional args

// Binding — rebind self to a different object
const f = (): str => self.msg ?? 'dne';
f.bind(other_obj);           // now self inside f = other_obj

// this — inside a function, refers to the function itself
fn my_func() {
    pln(this.name());        // → 'my_func'
    pln(this.attributes());  // → {'test': null}
    // this(...) = recursive call
}

---

Data Library (Low-Level Data Handles)

Every field and function in Stof is backed by a Data handle — a portable binary artifact. The Data library gives direct access to these handles for advanced use cases like sharing fields between objects, binary serialization, cache invalidation, and cross-object attachment.

// Get a data handle
const field_data = Data.field('self.my_field')   // by path string
const func_data  = (self.my_func).data()         // from a function reference
const data       = Data.from_id(func.id())       // by ID string

// Check existence
data.exists()               // bool — is this data still live?
Data.exists(identity)       // static form — works on any value (e.g. Age identity)

// Inspect
data.id()                   // ID string
data.objs()                 // list of objects this data is attached to
Data.id(val)                // static form — get ID of any data value
Data.libname(val)           // get the library name for a Data<Lib> component (e.g. 'Pdf', 'Image')

// Blob serialization — serialize a field/fn to binary and back
const blob = field_data.blob()                   // Data → blob
const new_data = Data.load_blob(blob, dest_obj)  // load blob into dest_obj (returns Data)
// Cast result to the right type:
const func = Data.load_blob(blob, dest) as fn;

// Attach / move / drop
data.attach(other_obj)       // attach this data to another object (now on both)
data.drop()                  // remove data from all objects (deletes it)
data.drop_from(obj)          // remove data from one specific object only
data.move(from_obj, to_obj)  // move attachment: detach from_obj, attach to_obj

// Invalidation / validation — for cache-invalidation patterns
data.invalidate('cache_key')
data.validate('cache_key')   // returns bool — true if valid
?Data.field('self.x').invalidate('key')  // null-safe (field may not exist)

// Outright inline binary data in a document (field embedded as raw bytes)
// "data" prefix is optional; attaches to current object on parse
data@v1 |20, 0, 0, 0, ...|

---

Formats & Interop

Stof's underlying structure is an entity-component system over a DAG: nodes (objects) are entities, and data components (fields, functions, images, PDFs, etc.) are the components attached to them. Formats and libraries are just different lenses on that same flat structure — a PDF format loads binary data as a Data<Pdf> component on a node; the Pdf library then provides Stof functions to operate on it. Everything is self-contained and sandboxed. The host (Rust) implementation registers both formats and libraries via simple traits.

Format I/O is potentially lossy. Each format can only represent what its underlying structure supports. The round-trip fidelity depends entirely on the format:

Format	Functions	Attributes	Unit types	Prototypes	Binary data
stof / stof:human	✓	✓	✓	✓	—
bstf	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
json	✗	✗	✗	✗	—
toml	✗	✗	✗	✗	—
yaml	✗	✗	✗	✗	—
text / md	✗	✗	✗	✗	—
urlencoded	✗	✗	✗	✗	—

Use stof:human or bstf when full fidelity matters. Use json/toml/yaml for interop with external systems, accepting that functions, attributes, and Stof-specific types won't survive. The exact behaviour of any format is determined by its host implementation — custom formats registered by the host may have different trade-offs.

// stringify — serialize an object to a string
stringify('json', obj)          // → JSON string
stringify('toml', obj)          // → TOML string
stringify('yaml', obj)          // → YAML string
stringify('stof', obj)          // → compact Stof
stringify('stof:human', obj)    // → human-readable Stof (preserves attributes, types, functions)
stringify('md', obj)            // → Markdown (reads obj.md field)
stringify('text', obj)          // → plain text (reads obj.text field)
stringify('urlencoded', obj)    // → URL-encoded form data (nested = bracket notation)
stringify('bytes', obj)         // → UTF-8 string from obj.bytes blob field

// blobify — serialize to binary blob
blobify('bstf', obj)            // → blob (binary Stof — preserves types, functions, attributes)
blobify('bytes', obj)           // → blob (raw bytes from obj.bytes field)

// parse — deserialize into an existing object
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'json')
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'toml')
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'yaml')
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'stof')
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'bstf')
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'bytes')   // string auto-converts to UTF-8 blob
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'md')      // stores content in dest.md
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'text')    // stores content in dest.text
parse(str_or_blob, dest, 'urlencoded') // or 'www-form' (alias)
parse(stof_string)                  // parse into current context (no dest needed)

Format notes:

• 'stof' vs 'stof:human' — compact omits whitespace; stof:human is readable and preserves functions, attributes, and prototype definitions. Use stof:human for full roundtrips.
• 'bstf' — binary Stof. Fully roundtrips types, prototypes, functions, and attributes as a blob. Use this for in-memory or over-the-wire transfer where readability isn't needed.
• 'bytes' — the obj.bytes field must be a blob. stringify UTF-8 decodes it; blobify returns it raw. Parsing a string auto-converts via UTF-8.
• 'text' — reads/writes obj.text as a plain string.
• 'md' — reads/writes obj.md as a Markdown string.
• 'urlencoded' / 'www-form' — nested objects encode as bracket notation (sub[val]=42).

Imports

// Path-only (format inferred from file extension)
import './config.stof' as self.Config
import './data.json' as self.Data
import './test.json'               // no alias — parsed into self directly

// Explicit format override
import json './test.json' as self.Imported
import toml './test.toml' as self.Imported
import yaml './test.yaml' as self.Imported
import text './test.json' as self.Raw   // imports raw file text into dest.text
import pkg './path'                    // import a package (@ prefix = stof/ directory)

// Binary / rich formats — loaded as data components
import './file.pdf'                 // → self.pdf as Data<Pdf> (if Pdf lib available, else bytes)
import './image.png'                // → self.image as Data<Image>
import './doc.docx' as self.Doc     // → self.Doc (if docx format available)

// Runtime parse
parse(str_or_blob, target_obj, 'stof')
parse(stof_string)                   // parse into current context

Rich data components (Data<Lib>)

When a format loads binary data (images, PDFs, etc.), the result is a data value typed as Data<LibName>. These are first-class values that can be stored in fields, copied, dropped, and operated on via the corresponding library:

// Check library availability before using
if (lib('Pdf')) {
    assert_eq(typename self.pdf, 'Data<Pdf>');
    assert_eq(Data.libname(self.pdf), 'Pdf');

    const text = self.pdf.extract_text();
    const images = self.pdf.extract_images();  // list of maps with height, width, etc.
}

if (lib('Image')) {
    assert_eq(typename self.image, 'Data<Image>');

    // Data components can be deep-copied
    const clone = copy(self.image);
    assert(Data.exists(clone));

    // Library functions as both methods and static calls
    clone.width()               // → 1200
    Image.width(clone)          // same, static form
    clone.resize(500, 500)      // mutates the data component
    clone.bmp()                 // → blob

    // Construct from blob
    const img = Image.from_blob(bmp_blob);
    drop(img);
    assert_not(Data.exists(img));
}

if (format('docx')) {
    const text = self.Doc.text();   // extract text from Word document
}

// Cast to a typed data handle
let dta: data = self.pdf as Data<Pdf>;
assert_eq(Data.libname(dta), 'Pdf');

Stof export/import notes

• stringify('stof:human', obj) + parse(str, dest, 'stof') fully roundtrips including functions and prototype definitions.
• Attributes that hold function values (e.g. #[schema(...)]) roundtrip correctly — the function is preserved in the exported Stof.
• Avoid export/import within the same graph — IDs may collide. Use copy(obj) for in-graph duplication instead.
• Package imports: import pkg './@geo' resolves @ to the stof/ directory.

---

#[run] Workflow Pattern

workflow: {
    #[run(1)]
    step_one: {
        #[run]
        fn execute() { pln("step 1") }
    }

    #[run(2)]
    step_two: {
        #[run]
        fn execute() { pln("step 2") }
    }

    // Run with arguments
    #[run({'args': [42]})]
    fn setup(val: int) { self.configured = val; }

    // Run on lists works too — each element is run
    #[run]
    list_run: [
        () => { self.done = true; },
        { #[run] fn inner() { super.sub_done = true; } }
    ]
}

#[main]
fn main() {
    self.workflow.run()
}

---

Common Idioms & Patterns

Guard-and-return:

const policy = self.get();
if (policy == null) return;

Null-safe dynamic dispatch:

?self.get().valid() ?? false
?App.event_handler(key, val)

Dynamic object insertion:

const item = new {} on parent_obj;
try {
    parse(stof_str, item, 'stof');
} catch {
    drop(item);
    return null;
}
const id = item.id ?? nanoid();
item.id = id;
parent_obj.remove(id, shallow = false);
parent_obj.insert(id, item as MyType);

Attribute-driven event dispatch:

// Dispatch: find all fns tagged with key, call them
for (const func in funcs(attributes = key)) {
    const count = func.params().len();
    if (count == 1) func(value);
    else if (count < 1) func();
}

// Register handlers with matching attribute
#[my-event]
fn on_event(value: obj) { ... }

Traverse parent chain to find a typed ancestor:

fn get_root_policy(child: obj) -> Policy {
    if (child.instance_of('Policy')) return child;
    let parent = child.parent();
    loop {
        if (parent == null) break;
        if (parent.instance_of('Policy')) return parent;
        parent = parent.parent();
    }
    null
}

Block expression for initialization:

value = {
    if (condition) "case_a"
    else "case_b"
};

send_tmp pattern (fire event then drop temp object):

await <Event>.send_tmp('plan-changed', new {
    previous: prev_plan,
    current: new_plan,
});
// object auto-dropped after send

---

Key Corrections / Things to Know

• Function return type syntax: always -> type, e.g. fn url() -> str. The old fn url(): str colon syntax is no longer valid (that was a prior version).
• All std assertions are snake_case: assert_eq, assert_neq, assert_not, assert_null. The old assertEq, assertNull forms are outdated.
• typeof vs typename: typeof 54kg → 'float'; typename 54kg → 'kg'. Use typename when you need unit type or prototype name.
• shallow = false on remove: required to recursively remove a subtree, not just the field reference.
• move() reparents nodes: call after inserting to ensure an object lives under the right parent.
• Prompts pass by reference: prompt is not a value type — it behaves like a collection.
• #[run] args: #[run({'args': [42]})] passes arguments. #[run({'prototype': 'none'|'first'|'last'})] controls prototype #[run] priority.
• this inside a function refers to the function data itself. this(...) is how you recurse.
• copy(val) performs a deep copy breaking references; bare assignment of collections copies the reference.
• const fields are enforced at runtime: assigning to a const field throws 'AssignConst'. Catch it if you need to handle it: try obj.hello = 'x'; catch (e: str) { assert_eq(e, 'AssignConst'); }
• #[constructor] order: when using #[extends], the base prototype's #[constructor] always runs before the subtype's constructor.
• #[dropped] runs on drop(): any functions marked #[dropped] on a prototype fire when an instance of that type is dropped. Useful for cleanup or notifying parents.

---

Source: dev-formata-io/stof — distributed by TomeVault.