dist_agent_lang — Documentation index

Version: 1.0.8 (Beta) Last updated: 2026-03-03 License: Apache 2.0

Section	Description	Start here if...
Getting started	Install, first program, first agent	You're new to DAL
Agent development	Agent setup, skills, persistent memory, molds	You're building agents
Language reference	Syntax, types, attributes	You need syntax details
Standard library	All 30 stdlib modules	You need API docs
CLI reference	All commands	You need CLI help
Blockchain and hybrid	Multi-chain, trust models, security	You're integrating blockchain
IDE and agent integration	LSP, editor setup, agent tools	You're setting up an editor
Project state	Shipped vs planned; gap checklist	You maintain releases or audit docs
Configuration	Environment variables index	You deploy or set keys / policies
Examples	Code samples and tutorials	You learn by example

Getting started

Installation

# From Cargo (recommended)
cargo install --git https://github.com/okjason-source/dist_agent_lang.git dist_agent_lang --bin dal

# From source
git clone https://github.com/okjason-source/dist_agent_lang.git
cd dist_agent_lang && cargo build --release

# From binary
# Download from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/okjason-source/dist_agent_lang/releases/latest

Requirements: Rust 1.70+ (Install Rust)

First program

@trust("hybrid")
service HelloWorld {
    fn main() {
        print("Hello, dist_agent_lang!");
    }
}

dal run hello.dal

First agent

mkdir my-agent && cd my-agent
dal init agent
dal agent serve
# Agent running at http://localhost:4040

Guides:

Quick Start — Up and running in 5 minutes
Agent Setup and Usage — Complete agent development guide

Agent development

DAL is agent-first. Agents are native language constructs with lifecycle operations (spawn, coordinate, communicate, evolve), persistent memory, composable skills, and HTTP serving.

Guide	What it covers
Agent Setup and Usage	Project setup, CLI, HTTP server, DAL APIs, molds, evolve context
Skills and Registry	Built-in and custom skills, `.skill.dal` format, programmatic encouragement, runtime registration
Persistent Agent Memory	Runtime persistence, backends (file/SQLite), configuration, schema versioning
Agent Capabilities	Capability definition, validation, and per-type/per-agent configuration
Mold Format	`.mold.dal` syntax, lifecycle hooks, principal vs mold trust
Fleet deployment	CLI walkthrough (`dal agent fleet …`), `.dal/fleets.json`, deploy/run/health/export
Comprehensive Agent Plans	Agent reasoning, fleet, mold config, off-chain implementation

Key concepts

Agent types: ai, system, worker, custom:<name>
Skills: Named bundles of capabilities (tools + description). Built-in categories: development, creative, office, home. Users define custom skills in .skill.dal files.
Molds: Reusable agent configurations (.mold.dal). User-built, user-owned. Future licensing via on-chain smart registry.
Persistent memory: Agent state (memory, tasks, messages, evolution, skills) persists across restarts. On by default.
Evolve: File-based conversation and action history. Loaded into the agent prompt each turn.

Language reference

Core concepts

DAL is a multi-paradigm, dynamically-typed language hosted in a Rust interpreter. Programs are executed with dal run.

Services: Stateful constructs with attributes (@trust, @chain, @secure, @txn, @limit)
Functions: Named, closures, async
Types: int, float, string, bool, null, list, map, set, struct, result, option, closure
Error handling: try-catch-finally, Result types
Modules: import/export, stdlib namespaces

Files

Syntax Reference — Complete grammar and syntax
Attributes Reference — Service and function attributes
Documentation.md — Architecture, type system, and internals

Standard library

30 modules covering agents, AI, blockchain, data, web, IoT, security, and administration.

Module	Purpose	Key functions
agent	Agent lifecycle	`spawn()`, `coordinate()`, `communicate()`, `evolve()`
ai	AI/ML operations	`generate_text()`, `classify()`, `embed()`, `analyze_text()`
chain	Blockchain	`deploy()`, `call()`, `get_balance()`, `transfer()`
crypto	Cryptography	`hash()`, `sign()`, `verify()`, `encrypt()`
auth	Authentication	`create_user()`, `login()`, `validate_token()`
database	Database ops	`query()`, `connect()`, `migrate()`
evolve	Context management	`load()`, `append_conversation()`, `append_log()`
mold	Agent molds	`load()`, `spawn_from()`, `list()`
trust	Trust models	`validate_hybrid_trust()`, `authorize()`
oracle	Data feeds	`fetch()`, `stream()`, `verify()`
web	HTTP	`get_request()`, `post_request()`
log	Logging	`info()`, `warn()`, `error()`
cloudadmin	Cloud admin	`authorize()`, `grant()`, `audit_log()`
iot	IoT devices	`connect_device()`, `read_sensor()`
mobile	Mobile integration	Platform-specific APIs
desktop	Desktop integration	System-level APIs
config	Configuration	`get_env()`, `get_database_config()`
aml	Anti-money laundering	`perform_check()`, `get_status()`
kyc	Know Your Customer	`verify()`, `get_verification()`
sh	Shell execution	`run()` with trust controls

Full reference: STDLIB_REFERENCE.md — Machine-readable with complete signatures, parameters, return types, and examples.

Module guides:

API Reference — Grouped by module
AI Features Guide — AI module details
CloudAdmin Guide — Hybrid trust and admin control

CLI reference

Command	Description
`dal run <file>`	Execute a DAL file
`dal agent serve`	Start agent HTTP server
`dal agent create <type> <name>`	Create an agent
`dal agent chat [name]`	Interactive agent chat
`dal agent send <from> <to> "<msg>"`	Send message between agents
`dal agent task assign <id> "<desc>"`	Assign task to agent
`dal agent mold list`	List local molds
`dal init agent`	Initialize agent project
`dal check <file>`	Syntax check
`dal fmt <file>`	Format code
`dal lint <file>`	Lint code
`dal test`	Run tests
`dal parse <file>`	Show AST
`dal repl`	Interactive REPL
`dal watch <file>`	Watch for changes
`dal new <name>`	Create new project
`dal convert <file>`	Solidity to DAL

Blockchain and hybrid trust

DAL provides multi-chain blockchain integration through its trust model and chain module.

Guide	What it covers
Hybrid Integration Guide	On-chain/off-chain patterns, trust model, sync, security
Pre-signed Deployment Guide	Building and submitting pre-signed deploy tx (Foundry/Hardhat → DAL), use cases
Solidity Integration Guide	Orchestrating Solidity contracts from DAL
AI Best Practices	Security and optimization for AI + blockchain
Architecture Separation	Separating DAL contracts from frontend

Supported chains: Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Arbitrum (and others via chain module).

Trust levels:

@trust("decentralized") — On-chain only
@trust("hybrid") — On-chain + off-chain
@trust("centralized") — Off-chain only

IDE and agent integration

IDE and Agent Integration — LSP setup, editor agents, tool schema
LSP and Agent Integration Plan (detailed) — Full LSP feature plan, phases, stdio vs IDE HTTP routes
DAL Assistant Plan — How agents work as DAL assistants: skills, molds, code-editor tools

Project state and alignment (maintainers)

Project state and alignment — Single matrix: what is shipped vs stub vs planned; links to trust-split EVM, LSP, checklists; gap backlog to keep docs and code honest across releases.
Production grade checklist — Unwrap/panic, stubs, JWT, logging
CODEBASE_TODOS.md — Short index into the above (repo root)

Configuration

CONFIG.md — Index of environment variables (DAL_*, LLM keys, JWT, etc.) with links to full guides.

File extensions:

.dal — Source files
.test.dal — Test files
.mold.dal — Mold definitions
.skill.dal — Skill definitions

Syntax highlighting: Use Rust syntax as a base. DAL-specific keywords: service, @chain, @trust, @ai, @secure, @txn.

Examples

In the repo

27+ example programs in the examples/ directory:

01_hello_world.dal — Basic language features
02_nft_marketplace.dal — Blockchain operations and attributes
03_trading_bot.dal — Async and agent system
04_error_handling.dal — Error management patterns

Tutorials

Quick snippets

Agent with persistent memory and skills:

let agent_id = agent::spawn({
    "name": "office-bot",
    "type": "ai",
    "role": "Office assistant with calendar and email skills"
});
agent::set_serve_agent(agent_id);

Blockchain operation:

@trust("hybrid")
@chain("ethereum")
service Token {
    fn deploy() {
        let result = chain::deploy("MyToken", "{}");
        log::info("Deployed: " + result.address);
    }
}

Agent coordination:

let task = agent::create_task("Process batch 42", "high");
agent::coordinate(agent_id, task, "task_distribution");

Package management

Packaging and Distribution — Install methods, versioning, configuration
DAL Venv — Named execution environments with security profiles

Release maintainers: RELEASE_DOCS_BUNDLE.md lists which docs and guides to include with the language release so installs (and LLMs) have access to the most important documentation.

Project status

Current: Beta (v1.0.8). Actively maintained with consistent updates.

What works	Status
Interpreter runtime (`dal run`)	Stable
Agent framework (spawn, serve, persist, skills)	Stable
30-module stdlib	Stable
CLI toolchain	Stable
Mold system	Stable
HTTP agent server	Stable
Solidity converter	Stable
Testing framework	Stable
Blockchain transpilation	Experimental
WASM/native compile targets	Experimental

For the roadmap, see Language Vision and Beta Release Summary.

Design docs:

Runtime value methods and stdlib wiring — Production-grade plan for value-method support (list/map methods, receiver-first dispatch) and stdlib wiring (IoT reference). Phase 1 and chain fixes implemented.
Chain namespace gaps and fixes — deploy 3rd arg, get as Map, get_chain_config / get_supported_chains; remaining optional improvements.
Mobile, edge, and IoT targets — Edge = IoT; IoT served by runtime (not compiled to); transpile deferred, same pattern; mobile compile deferred unless transpile path exists.

Version history

Version	Date	Highlights
1.0.8	2026-03	Persistent agent memory, extensible skills registry, documentation overhaul
1.0.5	2026-02	Mutation testing hardening, HTTP middleware tests
1.0.3	2026-02	mold:: stdlib, agent molds, CLI mold commands
1.0.2	2026-01	CloudAdmin module, improved stdlib
1.0.0	2025-11	Initial release

License

Apache License 2.0 — see LICENSE.

Contact and community

GitHub: okjason-source/dist_agent_lang
Discord: discord.gg/tu7tg9eN
Email: jason.dinh.developer@gmail.com