13. The Standard Library

Some useful types and functions are available in every TalkTalk file. Others live in modules that you import when you need them. This chapter shows what is available today; the standard library is still small and changes along with the language.

Core, always in scope

Core provides:

• String, Substring, Character, Unicode and text operations
• Array<T>, InlineArray<T, N>, ranges, iterators, and adapters
• Optional<T> and Result<S, F>
• arithmetic, comparison, bitwise, conversion, and display protocols
• Duration, Instant, memory roles, effects, and resumptions
• print, unreachable, and host-boundary primitives

The first line // no-core disables this import for trusted low-level work.

Files and paths

The fs module provides Path, Directory, DirectoryEntry, and File:

use fs::{ File, Path }

let path = Path("notes.txt")
match File.open(path: path, mode: .r) {
	.ok(file) -> {
		match file.read() {
			.ok(contents) -> print(contents),
			.error(_) -> print("read failed")
		}
		file.close()
		()
	},
	.error(_) -> print("open failed")
}

Path.normalized() performs lexical dot-component cleanup. Path.expanded() expands ~, prepends the working directory, and normalizes. Path.canonicalized() asks the host to resolve an existing path and symlinks. Directory enumeration returns typed file, directory, or symlink entries.

File reports operation-specific errors through Result. Call close() when you are finished with an open file.

Operating-system access

The os module exports the OS namespace:

use os::{ OS }

print(OS.cwd())
print(OS.getenv(name: "HOME"))
print(OS.argc())

OS.argc() returns the process argument array despite its historical name. The first element identifies the invoked program; arguments after talk run -- follow it.

Networking and HTTP

net provides TcpStream and TcpListener over the host I/O effect. http provides Request, Response, route handlers, and HttpServer. These modules are currently compact foundations rather than a broad production web stack.

use net::{ TcpListener }

See examples/ChatServer.tlk, examples/ChatClient.tlk, and examples/Http.tlk for complete current programs.

Tasks and scheduling

task provides:

• parallel_run and run_blocking
• Sender<T>, Receiver<T>, and channel<T>()
• bounded channels
• sleep
• select_recv

Core automatically runs every executable under a cooperative root scheduler. The coop module provides run for an explicit nested scheduler scope. See Concurrency.

Dictionaries

dict provides a growable string-keyed Dict<Value> with insertion and optional lookup. It is explicit rather than part of core:

use dict::{ Dict }

HTML and syntax

The html package contains the procedural @html macro and its HTML value type. The syntax modules expose typed lexer, parser, AST, documentation, and dump facilities used by self-hosted tools and procedural macro services.

Testing

The testing module supplies the test prelude's registration and assertion effects. Normal .test.tlk files receive that prelude automatically; they do not need to import it.

Reading the exact API

Until generated API pages exist, use source and editor hovers:

talk hover stdlib/fs.tlk --line 294 --column 12
talk check your-package/

Public declarations are marked pub, and the LSP exposes inferred signatures and documentation at use sites.