Syntax Overview

Syntax Overview

LegaleseScript is designed with readability and ease of use in mind, drawing from familiar elements of Java and C-like syntax. This overview provides a foundational understanding of the syntax used in LegaleseScript.

Basics

• Case Sensitivity: All keywords, variables, and identifiers in LegaleseScript are case-sensitive.
• Comments: Use // for single-line comments and /* */ for multi-line comments.
• Semicolons: Each statement is concluded with a semicolon (;).
• Blocks: Blocks of code are denoted by curly braces {}.

Data Types

LegaleseScript introduces custom data types specifically tailored for legal contracts:

• Text: For textual data.
• Number: For numerical values.
• WholeNumber: For integers.
• FractionalNumber(minFraction): For numbers with a minimum fractional part.
• Currency: For monetary values.
• Date: For dates.
• Duration: For time periods.
• Party: For parties to a contract.

Variables

• Declare variables with a data type followed by an identifier: Text contractTitle = "Employment Agreement";
• Variables are mutable and can be reassigned.

Functions and Sections

• Sections: Represent the different clauses or sections of a contract, similar to classes in OOP.
• Obligations: Functions that specify what a party is required to do.
• Rights: Functions that specify what a party is entitled to.
• Signatures: Special functions to denote agreement by all parties.

Control Structures

• Conditionals: Use if, else if, and else for conditional logic.
• Loops: While loops and for loops are available for iterating over ranges or collections.

Error Handling

• Use throw to indicate a violation or an error in contract terms.

References

• Use import to include external documents.
• Legal references are created with LawReference, CaseReference, and can be accessed using methods like .section() or .paragraph().

Example Contract

Here's a quick example to show the syntax in action:

section EmploymentAgreement {
    version("1.0.0");

    Party employer = "Acme Corporation";
    Party employee = "John Doe";
    WholeNumber minimumWage = 100;
    
    obligation calculatePay(WholeNumber hoursWorked) {
        if (hoursWorked <= 0) {
            throw new ContractException("Hours worked must be positive.");
        }
        return hoursWorked * minimumWage;
    }
    
    right requestLeave(FractionalNumber(0.5) daysRequested) {
        // Requests for leave must be in half-day increments.
    }
    
    signature signContract() {
        // Logic to confirm that all parties have signed the contract.
    }
}