run: support reading program from stdin / inline --program for one-shot queries #21

New issue

Closed

opened 2026-06-02 17:42:50 +00:00 by navicore · 1 comment

navicore commented

2026-06-02 17:42:50 +00:00

Owner

Summary

patch-prolog run requires at least one .pl file path (files: Vec<PathBuf>, required = true). There is no way to feed a program on stdin or inline, which makes one-shot queries and tooling integration awkward — every ad-hoc test needs a temp file written to disk first.

Use case

Iterating on snippets (REPL-less) and driving the engine from other tools. Today the loop is "write /tmp/x.pl, invoke, repeat per goal." A stdin/inline path removes the temp-file dance.

Suggested options (either or both)

stdin via the - convention: patch-prolog run - --goal "..." (or read stdin when no file is given), so programs can be piped:
```
echo 'foo(bar).' | patch-prolog run - --goal 'foo(X)'
```
inline flag: --program '...' / --eval '...' for a snippet passed on the command line.

Priority

Ergonomics, not correctness — the file interface works and loglings itself always has an exercise file on disk, so this mainly speeds up ad-hoc and tooling use. Lower priority than the parse-error issues.

Raised while building the loglings Prolog exercises against the installed engine.

## Summary `patch-prolog run` requires at least one `.pl` **file path** (`files: Vec<PathBuf>`, `required = true`). There is no way to feed a program on stdin or inline, which makes one-shot queries and tooling integration awkward — every ad-hoc test needs a temp file written to disk first. ## Use case Iterating on snippets (REPL-less) and driving the engine from other tools. Today the loop is "write `/tmp/x.pl`, invoke, repeat per goal." A stdin/inline path removes the temp-file dance. ## Suggested options (either or both) - **stdin via the `-` convention:** `patch-prolog run - --goal "..."` (or read stdin when no file is given), so programs can be piped: ``` echo 'foo(bar).' | patch-prolog run - --goal 'foo(X)' ``` - **inline flag:** `--program '...'` / `--eval '...'` for a snippet passed on the command line. ## Priority Ergonomics, not correctness — the file interface works and loglings itself always has an exercise file on disk, so this mainly speeds up ad-hoc and tooling use. Lower priority than the parse-error issues. --- Raised while building the `loglings` Prolog exercises against the installed engine.

navicore referenced this issue from a commit

2026-06-02 18:14:38 +00:00

● All green: 6 runner (+3 new for #21) + 209 integration + 148 unit. Issue #21 is implemented.

navicore referenced this issue

2026-06-02 18:15:06 +00:00

● All green: 6 runner (+3 new for #21) + 209 integration + 148 unit. Issue #21 is implemented. #26

navicore commented

2026-06-02 18:15:18 +00:00

Author

Owner

#26

https://git.navicore.tech/navicore/patch-prolog/pulls/26