MinTyML; Go Katas; Multiplayer Zork

The forecast is abysmal for my neck of the woods, so I will almost certainly get more screen-time than originally hoped for. While we’re not doing “Weekend Projects” anymore, that doesn’t mean we won’t drop some link for things you may want to experiment with. So, we’ve got a new markup language, some Go practice sheets, and a build on the recent Zork drop with a multiplayer text edition.

MinTyML

Yes. Another markup language. The more, the merrier!

MinTyML (GH) is a minimalist alternative syntax for HTML, designed to streamline the process of writing HTML code by offering a more concise syntax. It is particularly useful for folks new to web development or those who wish to speed up their workflow without sacrificing the quality or the structure of their web documents. It works by providing a set of simplified tags and attributes that map directly to standard HTML elements. This key feature helps reduce the amount of code one needs to write. For example, instead of writing a full HTML tag with opening and closing brackets, MintyML might use a simpler, abbreviated form that omits certain redundancies inherent in HTML.

It has three goals:

• make HTML tags as concise as possible
• infer HTML tags from context if possible
• represent complex HTML structures

An example might help, so let’s pretend we’re an OpenAI/Meta/Google/Microsoft greedy executive and steal some code from the MinTyML site:

h1> MinTyML Example Page

h2> Introduction

This is an example page written in MinTyML to demonstrate its simplicity and power.

h2> Features
ol {
  > Concise Syntax
  > Easy to Learn
  > Flexible
}

h2> Code block

```
function foo() {
  return 1 + 1
}
```

It’s written in Rust, compiles to WASM, so can run literally everywhere.

It drops into your system super easy, and you should be able to start messing with it within seconds of downloading.

If you don’t feel like polluting your system, try the WASM-ified version in your browser.

Go Katas

I’m a yuge fan of periodically performing code katas in various languages. It helps keep syntax fresh and top-of-mind, plus kicks in a mini endorphin rush each time you get a successful build/run.

Go Katas has 16 katas and a kata manager. They’re regularly updated, and cover a wide range of useful idioms:

• building search engine
• concurrency patterns
• duplicate lines in files
• enumerated type with iota
• HTTP client
• HTTP server
• io.Reader implementation
• io.Writer implementation
• load balanced STDIN processing
• non-blocking concurrent logging
• simple cipher
• sorting
• TCP client
• TCP middleman
• TCP time server
• walking filesystems

If you’re looking to learn Go or become more proficient, these are great exercises.

Multiplayer Zork

Why play Zork alone when you can play with friends! Tap three of your best mates and dig into Multiplayer Zork this weekend. You can start a new game any time, and dive back in whenever you feel like. It’s a cool adaptation of the classic game that should be super fun for all (unless, y’know, you are all eaten by Grues).

FIN

Remember, you can follow and interact with the full text of The Daily Drop’s free posts on Mastodon via @dailydrop.hrbrmstr.dev@dailydrop.hrbrmstr.dev ☮️