# AGENTS.md - tricu Project Guide

> For AI agents and contributors working in this repository.

## Build & Test

```bash
# Tests
nix flake check

# Build tricu executable
nix build .#
```

### Never call `cabal` directly

> **Rule of thumb:** if it builds, links, or tests, it goes through `nix`.

## Project Overview

**tricu** (pronounced "tree-shoe") is a programming-language experiment written primarily in Haskell.

Core types are in `src/Research.hs`.

### File extensions

- `.hs` - Haskell source
- `.tri` - tricu language source (used in `lib/`, `test/`, `demos/`)
- `.arboricx` - Portable executable bundle
- `.dag` - Serialized kernel DAG (used by `gen_kernel.zig` at build time)

### Haskell tests

Tests live in `test/Spec.hs` and use **Tasty** + **HUnit**.

```bash
nix flake check
```

## tricu Language Quick Reference

```
t                      → Leaf (the base term)
t t                    → Stem Leaf
t t t                  → Fork Leaf Leaf

x = t                  → Define term x = Leaf
id = (a : a)           → Lambda identity (eliminates to tree calculus)
head (map f xs)        → From lib/list.tri

!import "./path.tri" NS  → Import file under namespace

-- line comment
```

CRITICAL:
When working with `tricu` `.tri` files ***YOU MUST REVIEW notes/tricu-normalization-rules.md***