This tutorial is a preliminary version and will be improved over time.

Getting started

Neon is a general-purpose, natively concurrent scripting language designed to make concurrent programming possible even on systems without a multitasking OS (like the TI-EZ80 calculator). It is interpreted, meaning you don’t need to compile your code—you can run it directly.

Key Features

• Simple and readable syntax – Designed to be close to natural language.
• Concurrent by default – Supports parallel execution via the parallel operator.
• Dynamic typing – Variables can hold any type of object.
• Garbage-collected – Automatic memory management.
• Cross-platform – Runs on Linux, Windows, and TI-EZ80 calculators.

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Running Neon Programs

Neon has three execution modes:

1. Console Mode (Interactive REPL)

   • Start the Neon interpreter without arguments.
   • Type expressions after >> and press Enter to evaluate them.
   • Example:

     >> 2 + 3
     (Integer) = 5
     >> x = 10
     >> x * 2
     (Integer) = 20
     

2. Direct Execution Mode (Run .ne files)

   • Save your code in a file with the .ne extension (e.g., hello.ne).
   • Run it with:

     neon hello.ne arg1 arg2
     

   • On TI-EZ80 calculators, store the code in an AppVar (no extension) and set Ans or Rép to the filename (e.g., "PROGRAM").

3. Launcher Mode (Auto-execute a startup script)

   • On TI-EZ80: Create an AppVar named LAUNCHER starting with #NEON or NEON\x00.
   • On other platforms: Place a file named _launcher_.ne in the current directory.

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