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Warning

This book is in an early stage.

ALUX Programming Guidelines

Note

This book is a guide to writing programs by defining their meaning first and their mechanics second.

Inspired by Conal Elliott’s Denotational Design, it treats computation as a clear mathematical object rather than an opaque sequence of steps.

Specifications are expressed as simple, compositional traits that describe what a program is. Implementations provide interchangeable ways to realise those meanings.

The result is software that is easier to reason about, naturally composable, and correct by construction.

How to Read This Book

This book blends theory and practice. You will see each concept from two perspectives:

  • Concepts — core ideas expressed clearly and precisely, independent of language or framework.
  • Insights — deeper connections between concepts, with examples, design patterns, and transformations.

The examples are often in Rust but the principles are language-agnostic.

Who This Book Is For

  • Programmers who want to design for meaning rather than just mechanics.
  • Developers seeking to connect category theory, type systems, and program design.
  • Readers curious about how ideas like Free Monads, CPS, Defunctionalization, and Dependent Types fit together.