IML - Image Manipulation Language

Abstract

This project implements a Domain-Specific Language (DSL) in C for image manipulation tasks. The DSL allows users to perform operations such as loading, saving, cropping, blurring, rotating, and applying filters to images using a simple, expressive syntax with features like piping for chaining operations. The system includes a lexer for tokenization, a parser for generating an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), semantic analysis for type checking, and an evaluator for runtime execution.

Why do we need this?

Image manipulation is a common task in fields like computer vision, graphic design, and media processing. Existing tools are powerful but often complex for simple workflows. A DSL for image manipulation simplifies this by providing concise syntax for operations like filtering, transformations, and compositions. It enables non-experts to chain operations efficiently (e.g., via piping), promotes reusability, and integrates seamlessly with C-based systems. This DSL supports basic to advanced manipulations, making it suitable for educational, prototyping, or lightweight production use.

Features

• Load/Save Images: Read and write PNG/JPG images using load and save.
• Crop: Extract rectangular regions with crop(x, y, width, height).
• Blur: Apply a box blur with blur(radius).
• Pipeline Syntax: Chain operations (e.g., load("input.png") |> crop(50,50,300,300)).
• Error Handling: Logs invalid crop bounds or memory issues to prevent crashes or incorrect outputs (e.g., gray images).
• AST Debugging: Use --dump-ast to inspect the Abstract Syntax Tree.

For installation and Usage instructions, visit the github.

Documentation can be found here