Barely Adequate Runtime Environment — a minimal procedural teaching language with 11 reserved words, a single numeric type, one loop construct, and one procedure construct.
BARE is part of the Fragillidae Programming Langauge Teaching Suite. It is IDE-locked: there is no standalone interpreter — the editor, interpreter, and console all live in one PyQt6 process.
Feature-complete through Phase 6 of the implementation plan — core interpreter, editor, syntax highlighting, threaded Run/Stop, step-debug with breakpoints and Variable Watch, scope box coloring, and a Preferences dialog — plus multi-file editor tabs and a file browser panel. See dev-docs/implementation-task-list.md for the full phase-by-phase history.
./setup.sh # creates venv, installs dev + ide extras
source venv/bin/activate
python -m pytest tests/ -v # run the interpreter test suite
./run.sh # launch the IDETo build a standalone executable (no Python install required to run it):
./build_release.sh # installs PyInstaller extras, builds dist/bare-ide| Doc | Audience | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| docs/language-spec.md | Anyone writing BARE programs | The full language: syntax, types, control flow, subs, builtins, examples |
| docs/user-guide.md | Anyone using the IDE | Editor tabs, the file browser, running/debugging programs, breakpoints, Preferences, the personal library |
| libraries/README.md | Anyone writing BARE programs | String/math/trig/data/sort/list/format/validation/console-UI helpers, written entirely in BARE, ready to copy into your personal library |
| curriculum/ | Teachers | A full K-12 learn-to-program curriculum built on BARE (see below) |
| dev-docs/ARCHITECTURE.md | Contributors | Component responsibilities, data flow, threading model |
| dev-docs/TESTING_STRATEGY.md | Contributors | Test pyramid, fixtures, how to run the suite |
| dev-docs/BARE_language_spec.md | Contributors | The original design spec (grammar EBNF, rationale) this implementation was built from |
| dev-docs/adding-a-builtin.md | Contributors | Step-by-step checklist for adding a new built-in function |
curriculum/ is a complete, three-tier learn-to-program curriculum for classroom use, spanning roughly ages 8 to 18:
| Tier | Age / grade | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — BARE Beginnings | ~8-10 (grades 3-5) | Sequencing, variables, print/input, if/else, while, randomness |
| Tier 2 — BARE Builders | ~11-13 (grades 6-8) | subs and scope, lists, the full builtin set, debugging tools, the personal library |
| Tier 3 — BARE Projects | ~14-18 (grades 9-12) | Algorithmic thinking, recursion, program design, refactoring, a capstone, and a bridge to other languages |
Each tier is a semester's worth of lesson plans, student worksheets, and checkpoint quizzes/rubrics. Start with curriculum/teachers-guide.md — it covers classroom setup, BARE-specific student misconceptions worth knowing in advance, and grading philosophy.
11 keywords: print input if else end while sub return and or not
8 builtins: len(x) append(list, value) input(prompt) str(x) num(x) random(min, max) round(x, decimals) time()
sub factorial(n)
if n <= 1
return 1
else
return n * factorial(n - 1)
end
end
print factorial(5)
See docs/language-spec.md for the complete reference, or examples/ for runnable sample programs. libraries/ goes a step further: string, math, trigonometry, dictionary/set, sorting, list, formatting, validation, and console-UI helpers — built entirely out of BARE's 11 keywords and 8 builtins, proof that a small language can still get you a long way.
src/bare_core/ Lexer, parser, tree-walking interpreter — no GUI dependency
src/bare_ide/ PyQt6 IDE: editor, console, debugger, themes, settings
tests/ Unit + integration tests for bare_core (234 tests)
examples/ Sample .bare programs (FizzBuzz, factorial, lists, ...)
libraries/ String/math/trig/data/sort/list/format/validation/TUI helpers, written in BARE
docs/ User-facing language spec and IDE user guide
curriculum/ K-12 learn-to-program curriculum: lesson plans, worksheets, assessments
dev-docs/ Design docs, implementation plan, architecture notes
installer/ PyInstaller spec (build_release.sh drives this)