PitCode

Code in plain words. PitCode is a friendly programming language that reads almost like English and turns into JavaScript. One language covers three kinds of files:

pit dives = [12, 18, 31, 9]

loop depth in dives {
  when depth > 30 {
    say "{depth} m: a deep dive!"
  } other {
    say "{depth} m"
  }
}

say "Deepest: {dives.max()} m, average: {dives.average()} m"

The extension is all you need: it runs PitCode by itself, with nothing else to install.

✨ What's new

🏠 PitCode Home

Click the PitCode button at the top right of the editor (or press Ctrl+Alt+H) for everything in one place:

• Home: the versions, buttons for everything the extension does, and your project at a glance (files, tests, mistakes).
• What's new: the release notes of the extension and of the language.
• Updates: checks whether the pitcode command on your computer is up to date, and updates it in one click.
• Dictionary, Guides (the tutorial in English and French, the guide, styles, recipes, errors), Settings (like fixing mistakes on save) and Keys.

📖 A Dictionary of every word

Every word of .pit, .pitx and .pitoss, more than 1,500 in all, each with what it does and the JavaScript or CSS it matches.

• Open it with the 📖 button at the top of a file, the book in the side bar, Dictionary in the status bar, or Ctrl+Alt+D.
• Search by the word, or by what you want to do: round, repeat, bold, shadow.
• Insert puts the word in your file. Colors show their swatch.
• Hover over any word and click Open in the Dictionary.

✨ Mistakes, fixed for you

PitCode reads the code around each mistake and offers the fix. Press Ctrl+. on an underlined word:

Fix everything at once with the ✨ in the status bar or Ctrl+Alt+F. Only fixes PitCode is sure about are made, and Ctrl+Z undoes them.

To fix a file each time you save it, add this to your settings:

"editor.codeActionsOnSave": { "source.fixAll.pitcode": "explicit" }

🧪 Tests in the Testing panel

• Each test("...") in a file ending in _test.pit gets a ▶ Run test button.
• The Testing panel lists every test of the project, with ✓ and ✗.
• A failed test shows its message right on the line that failed.

🎨 Colors that know your code

• Functions, kinds, parameters and variables each get their own color.
• Names that are never used are dimmed.
• Calls show the parameter names: addAir(tank: 100, more: 50).

And more

• ▶ buttons above the code: Run, Preview, Run test, and "3 uses" above each function.
• See what your code turns into: the JavaScript of a .pit file (or the CSS of a .pitoss file), beside it, updating as you type.
• Every use highlighted when the cursor is on a name.
• Folding for blocks, comments and // ---------- sections ----------.
• Ctrl+T finds any function, kind, test or style in the whole project.
• New project and New file, already filled in and ready to run.
• Check the whole project and Tidy every file.
• The guide comes with the extension: open it with PitCode: Open the guide. No internet needed.
• Get started: a short walkthrough (Help → Welcome) shows the main features in a few minutes.
• PitCode code blocks in Markdown files get PitCode's colors.

Everything the extension does

Writing

• Colors for .pit, .pitx and .pitoss, with an icon for each kind of file.
• Mistakes underlined as you type, with what to do, in plain words.
• Hover help on every word.
• Autocomplete for words, modules (math., time....) and methods.
• Snippets: type comp, test, loopin, button, card...

Finding your way

• Go to where a name is made (F12).
• Find every use (Shift+F12).
• Rename a name everywhere, even across files (F2).
• The Outline of a file.
• What goes in a call's ( ).

Running

• ▶ Run (Ctrl+Shift+Enter) runs the file in a terminal inside VS Code; answering ask() works there.
• A crash underlines the line where it happened.
• Preview (Ctrl+Shift+V) shows a .pitx page live beside the code. It redraws each time you save.

Styles (.pitoss)

• Color swatches, with a color picker.
• The CSS name of each word on hover.
• A button that makes the .css file.
• Right-click a .css file to turn it into a .pitoss file.

Keeping code tidy

• Format Document fixes the indentation.
• Replace old words updates words from older versions of PitCode.

A taste of the three files

A web page (app.pitx):

use "./styles.pitoss"

Counter() => {
  pit [count, change] = remember(0)
  back <button onClick={() => change(count + 1)}>Clicked {count} times</button>
}

draw(<main>
  <h1>My dives</h1>
  <Counter />
</main>)

Its styles (styles.pitoss):

pit sea = #0e4d5c

style button {
  padding: 8 16
  corners: 8
  background: sea
  text-color: sea.readableText()
  when hover {
    background: sea.lighter(10%)
  }
}

A test (tools_test.pit):

addAir(tank, more) => tank + more

test("adding air", () => {
  expect(addAir(100, 50), 150)
})

Keys

On a Mac, use Cmd instead of Ctrl.

Settings