name: patterns/interpreter description: Interpreter Pattern pattern for C development

Interpreter Pattern

Define a grammar and interpreter for a language. Parse input into AST, evaluate by walking tree. Used for DSLs, expressions, commands.

ikigai Application

Slash commands: Simple interpreter - parse command name and args, dispatch to handler.

Future DSL possibilities:

• Query language for conversation search
• Filter expressions for message selection
• Template syntax for prompts

Current approach: Slash commands are simple enough that full interpreter isn't needed. Direct string matching suffices.

When to use: If command syntax grows complex (flags, subcommands, expressions), consider proper parser with grammar definition.

ANSI parsing: Terminal escape sequences are interpreted via state machine, a lightweight interpreter.