Getting Started with Lyric

(note: lyric is not publicly released yet.)

Lyric is a modern programming language designed for clarity and expressiveness.
In this short tutorial, you’ll install Lyric, write your first program, and learn the basics of its syntax.

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Installing Lyric

Lyric requires Python 3.10 or later.

1. Lyric can be installed using pip (coming soon)

pip install lyric-lang

2. Your First Lyric Program

Create a file called hello.ly:

def main() {
    print("Hello from Lyric!")
}

Then run your script

lyric hello.ly

3. Variables and Functions

• Define a function using def name(parameters) { ... }.
• Use return to send a value back to the caller.
• Call the function from main() — the entry point for your program.

def square(int n) {
    return n * n
}

def main() {
    int x = 5

    print(square(x))
}

4. Conditional Blocks

• Write a condition using if expression.
• Optionally add an else clause.
• Close the conditional with end.
• Indentation is optional but encouraged for readability.

def main() {
    int x = 10
    
    if x < 10
        print("less than")
    else
        print("not less than")
    end
}

5. Control Flow

• Start a loop with given variable in range(...).
• Write your loop body normally.
• Close the loop with done.
• Lyric's range() function works like Python's — it generates a sequence of numbers.

def main() {
    int total = 0
    given i in range(5):
        total += i
    done
    print(total)
}

6. Using Python Modules

• Use importpy module to access a Python package.
• Call any function or class from that module as usual.
• This allows Lyric to leverage Python's ecosystem for advanced features.

importpy math

def main() {
    print(math.sqrt(16))
}

7. Exception Handling

• Start a protected block with try:.
• Use a generic catch: to handle any runtime errors raised inside the try block.
• Add an optional finally: block for code that should always run — even if an error occurs.
• End the structure with fade.

def main() {
    var items = [1, 2, 3]

    try:
        var x = items[5]          # will raise an error
        print("This won't run.")
    catch:
        print("Something went wrong.")
    finally:
        print("Cleanup runs no matter what.")
    fade
}

8. Next Steps

• Explore the Lyric Language Specification
• Follow Lyric's on-going development at MiraNova Studios

Thank you

Thank you for exploring Lyric — we hope this tutorial helped you understand the language’s clarity and simplicity.
Lyric is still evolving, and your interest and feedback help shape its future.

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