A.1 A Brief Introduction

Welcome to SheerPower Programming

SheerPower is a programming language designed for business applications. It offers fast compilation, accurate math (16 decimal digits of guaranteed accuracy), and a simple syntax. Developers can build scalable, efficient programs for handling large volumes of data.

This tutorial introduces key features of SheerPower, such as high-precision math, fast compiling, dynamic data clustering, and a built-in web server.

Note for Beginners: SheerPower handles complex systems like memory management and stack control automatically. You don’t need to understand how features like the Chunked FDA or its stackless virtual machine work to use the language effectively. These advanced technologies run seamlessly in the background, so you can stay focused on writing clean, high-performance business code.

Examples

Program Declaration

Optionally, every SheerPower program can begin with a PROGRAM statement to assign a name to the program. This name is used in crash reports, profiling, and other system-generated files.

program hello_world print "Hello World" end

Stopping the Program

Use STOP or END to end a SheerPower program. Both are optional. They close open files, flush buffers, unlock resources, and stop execution.

END also marks the logical end of the source file. If it’s missing, SheerPower automatically inserts it at the end of your code.

High-Precision Math (16-Digit Guaranteed Accuracy)

SheerPower eliminates the floating-point inaccuracies common in other languages, guaranteeing up to 16 decimal digits of precision. This ensures exact and reliable calculations for financial and data-centric software.

print (0.1+0.2) - 0.3 // Outputs exactly 0.0

This ensures reliable calculations for applications like financial software.

Sub-Second Compilation

SheerPower compiles at over 500,000 source lines per second on a modern PC - meaning even large business applications compile within a second or two. This reduces the traditional compile-wait-test cycle that slows development.

High-Performance Data Clusters

SheerPower's cluster feature works like an in-memory spreadsheet, processing hundreds of thousands to millions of rows per second depending on data complexity and available system resources.

Note: Cluster arrays can handle extremely large datasets (tested with hundreds of millions of rows) with fast key lookups, limited primarily by available RAM.

Comprehensive Statistics Package

SheerPower includes a built-in statistics package with over 30 functions for analyzing data. These functions can be used to identify trends, variability, and relationships in large datasets. Applications include finance, manufacturing, science, and more. For details, see SheerPower Statistics .

Web Server Integration

SheerPower includes a built-in web server designed for memory-to- memory data transfers. This allows fast transactions with low resource usage.

Summary

SheerPower is designed for business applications, focusing on speed, precision, and long-term reliability. It is not intended for system-level programming or memory-limited environments. Key features include:

Perfect Precision Math: Useful for financial and data-focused applications.
High-Speed Compilation: Supports fast development and quick testing cycles.
Clusters for Data Processing: Handles large datasets efficiently.
Local Routines: Encourages modular code and easier maintenance.
Integrated Web Server: Supports many transactions per second with low resource use.
Backward Compatibility: Reduces maintenance and supports legacy code.

Conclusion: SheerPower helps build fast, accurate, and scalable business software. It is well suited for applications that process large volumes of data and require reliable performance.

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Check out the Sheerpower website. Free to download. Free to use.