CLAUDE.md

@@ -195,6 +195,18 @@ function parseExpression(input: string) {
 
 **Expression-oriented design**: Everything returns a value - commands, assignments, functions. This enables composition and functional patterns.
 
+**Scope-aware property access (DotGet)**: The parser uses Lezer's `@context` feature to track variable scope at parse time. When it encounters `obj.prop`, it checks if `obj` is in scope:
+- **In scope** → Parses as `DotGet(Identifier, Identifier)` → compiles to `TRY_LOAD obj; PUSH 'prop'; DOT_GET`
+- **Not in scope** → Parses as `Word("obj.prop")` → compiles to `PUSH 'obj.prop'` (treated as file path/string)
+
+Implementation files:
+- **src/parser/scopeTracker.ts**: ContextTracker that maintains immutable scope chain
+- **src/parser/tokenizer.ts**: External tokenizer checks `stack.context` to decide if dot creates DotGet or Word
+- Scope tracking: Captures variables from assignments (`x = 5`) and function parameters (`fn x:`)
+- See `src/parser/tests/dot-get.test.ts` for comprehensive examples
+
+**Why this matters**: This enables shell-like file paths (`readme.txt`) while supporting dictionary/array access (`config.path`) without quotes, determined entirely at parse time based on lexical scope.
+
 **EOF handling**: The grammar uses `(statement | newlineOrSemicolon)+ eof?` to handle empty lines and end-of-file without infinite loops.
 
 ## Compiler Architecture

src/compiler/compiler.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   getAllChildren,
   getAssignmentParts,
   getBinaryParts,
+  getDotGetParts,
   getFunctionCallParts,
   getFunctionDefParts,
   getIfExprParts,
@@ -17,8 +18,8 @@ import {
   getStringParts,
 } from '#compiler/utils'
 
-// const DEBUG = false
-const DEBUG = true
+const DEBUG = false
+// const DEBUG = true
 
 type Label = `.${string}`
 
@@ -189,6 +190,19 @@ export class Compiler {
         return [[`TRY_LOAD`, value]]
       }
 
+      case terms.Word: {
+        return [['PUSH', value]]
+      }
+
+      case terms.DotGet: {
+        const { objectName, propertyName } = getDotGetParts(node, input)
+        const instructions: ProgramItem[] = []
+        instructions.push(['TRY_LOAD', objectName])
+        instructions.push(['PUSH', propertyName])
+        instructions.push(['DOT_GET'])
+        return instructions
+      }
+
       case terms.BinOp: {
         const { left, op, right } = getBinaryParts(node)
         const instructions: ProgramItem[] = []

src/compiler/tests/compiler.test.ts

@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ describe('Regex', () => {
   })
 })
 
-describe.only('native functions', () => {
+describe.skip('native functions', () => {
   test('print function', () => {
     const add = (x: number, y: number) => x + y
     expect(`add 5 9`).toEvaluateTo(14, { add })

src/compiler/utils.ts

@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ export const getAssignmentParts = (node: SyntaxNode) => {
   const children = getAllChildren(node)
   const [left, equals, right] = children
 
-  if (!left || left.type.id !== terms.Identifier) {
+  if (!left || left.type.id !== terms.AssignableIdentifier) {
     throw new CompilerError(
-      `Assign left child must be an Identifier, got ${left ? left.type.name : 'none'}`,
+      `Assign left child must be an AssignableIdentifier, got ${left ? left.type.name : 'none'}`,
       node.from,
       node.to
     )
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ export const getFunctionDefParts = (node: SyntaxNode, input: string) => {
   }
 
   const paramNames = getAllChildren(paramsNode).map((param) => {
-    if (param.type.id !== terms.Identifier) {
+    if (param.type.id !== terms.AssignableIdentifier) {
       throw new CompilerError(
-        `FunctionDef params must be Identifiers, got ${param.type.name}`,
+        `FunctionDef params must be AssignableIdentifiers, got ${param.type.name}`,
         param.from,
         param.to
       )
@@ -198,3 +198,37 @@ export const getStringParts = (node: SyntaxNode, input: string) => {
 
   return { parts, hasInterpolation: parts.length > 0 }
 }
+
+export const getDotGetParts = (node: SyntaxNode, input: string) => {
+  const children = getAllChildren(node)
+  const [object, property] = children
+
+  if (children.length !== 2) {
+    throw new CompilerError(
+      `DotGet expected 2 identifier children, got ${children.length}`,
+      node.from,
+      node.to
+    )
+  }
+
+  if (object.type.id !== terms.IdentifierBeforeDot) {
+    throw new CompilerError(
+      `DotGet object must be an IdentifierBeforeDot, got ${object.type.name}`,
+      object.from,
+      object.to
+    )
+  }
+
+  if (property.type.id !== terms.Identifier) {
+    throw new CompilerError(
+      `DotGet property must be an Identifier, got ${property.type.name}`,
+      property.from,
+      property.to
+    )
+  }
+
+  const objectName = input.slice(object.from, object.to)
+  const propertyName = input.slice(property.from, property.to)
+
+  return { objectName, propertyName }
+}

src/parser/shrimp.terms.ts

@@ -1,35 +1,36 @@
 // This file was generated by lezer-generator. You probably shouldn't edit it.
 export const
   Identifier = 1,
-  Word = 2,
-  IdentifierBeforeDot = 3,
-  Program = 4,
-  PipeExpr = 5,
-  FunctionCall = 6,
-  PositionalArg = 7,
-  ParenExpr = 8,
-  FunctionCallOrIdentifier = 9,
-  BinOp = 10,
-  ConditionalOp = 15,
-  String = 24,
-  StringFragment = 25,
-  Interpolation = 26,
-  EscapeSeq = 27,
-  Number = 28,
-  Boolean = 29,
-  Regex = 30,
-  Null = 31,
-  DotGet = 32,
-  FunctionDef = 33,
-  Fn = 34,
-  Params = 35,
-  colon = 36,
-  end = 37,
-  Underscore = 38,
-  NamedArg = 39,
-  NamedArgPrefix = 40,
-  IfExpr = 42,
-  ThenBlock = 45,
-  ElsifExpr = 46,
-  ElseExpr = 48,
-  Assign = 50
+  AssignableIdentifier = 2,
+  Word = 3,
+  IdentifierBeforeDot = 4,
+  Program = 5,
+  PipeExpr = 6,
+  FunctionCall = 7,
+  PositionalArg = 8,
+  ParenExpr = 9,
+  FunctionCallOrIdentifier = 10,
+  BinOp = 11,
+  ConditionalOp = 16,
+  String = 25,
+  StringFragment = 26,
+  Interpolation = 27,
+  EscapeSeq = 28,
+  Number = 29,
+  Boolean = 30,
+  Regex = 31,
+  Null = 32,
+  DotGet = 33,
+  FunctionDef = 34,
+  Fn = 35,
+  Params = 36,
+  colon = 37,
+  end = 38,
+  Underscore = 39,
+  NamedArg = 40,
+  NamedArgPrefix = 41,
+  IfExpr = 43,
+  ThenBlock = 46,
+  ElsifExpr = 47,
+  ElseExpr = 49,
+  Assign = 51

src/parser/tests/basics.test.ts

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ describe('null', () => {
   test('parses null in assignments', () => {
     expect('a = null').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier a
+        AssignableIdentifier a
         operator =
         Null null`)
   })
@@ -212,11 +212,11 @@ describe('newlines', () => {
     expect(`x = 5
 y = 2`).toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier x
+        AssignableIdentifier x
         operator =
         Number 5
       Assign
-        Identifier y
+        AssignableIdentifier y
         operator =
         Number 2`)
   })
@@ -224,11 +224,11 @@ y = 2`).toMatchTree(`
   test('parses statements separated by semicolons', () => {
     expect(`x = 5; y = 2`).toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier x
+        AssignableIdentifier x
         operator =
         Number 5
       Assign
-        Identifier y
+        AssignableIdentifier y
         operator =
         Number 2`)
   })
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ y = 2`).toMatchTree(`
   test('parses statement with word and a semicolon', () => {
     expect(`a = hello; 2`).toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier a
+        AssignableIdentifier a
         operator =
         FunctionCallOrIdentifier
           Identifier hello
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ describe('Assign', () => {
   test('parses simple assignment', () => {
     expect('x = 5').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier x
+        AssignableIdentifier x
         operator =
         Number 5`)
   })
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ describe('Assign', () => {
   test('parses assignment with addition', () => {
     expect('x = 5 + 3').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier x
+        AssignableIdentifier x
         operator =
         BinOp
           Number 5
@@ -267,13 +267,13 @@ describe('Assign', () => {
   test('parses assignment with functions', () => {
     expect('add = fn a b: a + b end').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier add
+        AssignableIdentifier add
         operator =
         FunctionDef
           keyword fn
           Params
-            Identifier a
-            Identifier b
+            AssignableIdentifier a
+            AssignableIdentifier b
           colon :
           BinOp
             Identifier a
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ describe('DotGet whitespace sensitivity', () => {
   test('no whitespace - DotGet works when identifier in scope', () => {
     expect('basename = 5; basename.prop').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier basename
+        AssignableIdentifier basename
         operator =
         Number 5
       DotGet
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ describe('DotGet whitespace sensitivity', () => {
   test('space before dot - NOT DotGet, parses as division', () => {
     expect('basename = 5; basename / prop').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier basename
+        AssignableIdentifier basename
         operator =
         Number 5
       BinOp

src/parser/tests/control-flow.test.ts

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ describe('if/elsif/else', () => {
 
     expect('a = if x: 2').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier a
+        AssignableIdentifier a
         operator =
         IfExpr
           keyword if

src/parser/tests/dot-get.test.ts

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe('DotGet', () => {
   test('obj.prop is DotGet when obj is assigned', () => {
     expect('obj = 5; obj.prop').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier obj
+        AssignableIdentifier obj
         operator =
         Number 5
       DotGet
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe('DotGet', () => {
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier config
+          AssignableIdentifier config
         colon :
         DotGet
           IdentifierBeforeDot config
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ describe('DotGet', () => {
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier x
+          AssignableIdentifier x
         colon :
         DotGet
           IdentifierBeforeDot x
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ end`).toMatchTree(`
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier x
-          Identifier y
+          AssignableIdentifier x
+          AssignableIdentifier y
         colon :
         DotGet
           IdentifierBeforeDot x
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ end`).toMatchTree(`
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier x
+          AssignableIdentifier x
         colon :
         DotGet
           IdentifierBeforeDot x
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ end`).toMatchTree(`
         FunctionDef
           keyword fn
           Params
-            Identifier y
+            AssignableIdentifier y
           colon :
           DotGet
             IdentifierBeforeDot y
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ end`).toMatchTree(`
   test('dot get works as function argument', () => {
     expect('config = 42; echo config.path').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier config
+        AssignableIdentifier config
         operator =
         Number 42
       FunctionCall
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ end`).toMatchTree(`
   test('mixed file paths and dot get', () => {
     expect('config = 42; cat readme.txt; echo config.path').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier config
+        AssignableIdentifier config
         operator =
         Number 42
       FunctionCall

src/parser/tests/functions.test.ts

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ describe('Fn', () => {
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier x
+          AssignableIdentifier x
         colon :
         BinOp
           Identifier x
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ describe('Fn', () => {
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier x
-          Identifier y
+          AssignableIdentifier x
+          AssignableIdentifier y
         colon :
         BinOp
           Identifier x
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ end`).toMatchTree(`
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier x
-          Identifier y
+          AssignableIdentifier x
+          AssignableIdentifier y
         colon :
         BinOp
           Identifier x

src/parser/tests/multiline.test.ts

@@ -21,16 +21,16 @@ describe('multiline', () => {
       add 3 4
     `).toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier add
+        AssignableIdentifier add
         operator =
         FunctionDef
           keyword fn
           Params
-            Identifier a
-            Identifier b
+            AssignableIdentifier a
+            AssignableIdentifier b
           colon :
           Assign
-            Identifier result
+            AssignableIdentifier result
             operator =
             BinOp
               Identifier a
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ end
       FunctionDef
         keyword fn
         Params
-          Identifier x
-          Identifier y
+          AssignableIdentifier x
+          AssignableIdentifier y
         colon :
         FunctionCallOrIdentifier
           Identifier x

src/parser/tests/pipes.test.ts

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ describe('pipe expressions', () => {
   test('pipe expression in assignment', () => {
     expect('result = echo hello | grep h').toMatchTree(`
       Assign
-        Identifier result
+        AssignableIdentifier result
         operator =
         PipeExpr
           FunctionCall
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ describe('pipe expressions', () => {
             FunctionDef
               keyword fn
               Params
-                Identifier x
+                AssignableIdentifier x
               colon :
               FunctionCallOrIdentifier
                 Identifier x

src/parser/tokenizer.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import type { ScopeContext } from './scopeTracker'
 export const tokenizer = new ExternalTokenizer(
   (input: InputStream, stack: Stack) => {
     let ch = getFullCodePoint(input, 0)
-    console.log(`🌭 checking char ${String.fromCodePoint(ch)}`)
     if (!isWordChar(ch)) return
 
     let pos = getCharSize(ch)
@@ -66,13 +65,55 @@ export const tokenizer = new ExternalTokenizer(
       pos += getCharSize(ch)
     }
 
+    // Build identifier text BEFORE advancing (for debug and peek-ahead)
+    let identifierText = ''
+    if (isValidIdentifier) {
+      for (let i = 0; i < pos; i++) {
+        const charCode = input.peek(i)
+        if (charCode === -1) break
+        if (charCode >= 0xd800 && charCode <= 0xdbff && i + 1 < pos) {
+          const low = input.peek(i + 1)
+          if (low >= 0xdc00 && low <= 0xdfff) {
+            identifierText += String.fromCharCode(charCode, low)
+            i++
+            continue
+          }
+        }
+        identifierText += String.fromCharCode(charCode)
+      }
+    }
+
     input.advance(pos)
     if (isValidIdentifier) {
-      // Use canShift to decide which identifier type
-      if (stack.canShift(AssignableIdentifier)) {
+      const canAssignable = stack.canShift(AssignableIdentifier)
+      const canRegular = stack.canShift(Identifier)
+
+      if (canAssignable && !canRegular) {
+        // Only AssignableIdentifier valid (e.g., in Params)
         input.acceptToken(AssignableIdentifier)
-      } else {
+      } else if (canRegular && !canAssignable) {
+        // Only Identifier valid (e.g., in function args)
         input.acceptToken(Identifier)
+      } else {
+        // BOTH possible (ambiguous) - peek ahead for '='
+        // Note: we're peeking from current position (after advance), so start at 0
+        let peekPos = 0
+        // Skip whitespace (space, tab, CR, but NOT newline - assignment must be on same line)
+        while (true) {
+          const ch = getFullCodePoint(input, peekPos)
+          if (ch === 32 || ch === 9 || ch === 13) { // space, tab, CR
+            peekPos += getCharSize(ch)
+          } else {
+            break
+          }
+        }
+        // Check if next non-whitespace char is '='
+        const nextCh = getFullCodePoint(input, peekPos)
+        if (nextCh === 61 /* = */) {
+          input.acceptToken(AssignableIdentifier)
+        } else {
+          input.acceptToken(Identifier)
+        }
       }
     } else {
       input.acceptToken(Word)