From fea5617e4ef2eba701e6cfabd61f1e455e680534 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: agra <alex@swipelab.co>
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2026 22:12:45 +0300
Subject: [PATCH] lang: slice ranges take the same bound markers as for-header
 ranges
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

xs[1..=3] (end inclusive), xs[0<..<4] (both exclusive), xs[..=2]
(prefix form with markers, implicit 0 start), xs[2<..] (open end,
exclusive start), and xs[..] (whole collection) — lowered as lo+1 /
hi+1 on the existing subslice op. Strings slice through the same path.
An explicit end marker requires an end expression, matching the
for-header rule.

Regression: examples/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.sx.
---
 examples/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.sx     | 32 ++++++++++++++++++
 .../0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.exit        |  1 +
 .../0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stderr      |  1 +
 .../0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stdout      |  9 +++++
 readme.md                                     |  1 +
 specs.md                                      | 13 ++++++++
 src/ast.zig                                   |  8 +++--
 src/ir/lower/expr.zig                         |  6 ++--
 src/parser.zig                                | 33 +++++++++++++++----
 9 files changed, 93 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 examples/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.sx
 create mode 100644 examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.exit
 create mode 100644 examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stderr
 create mode 100644 examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stdout

diff --git a/examples/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.sx b/examples/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.sx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66e94cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.sx
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// Slice range bound markers — same matrix as for-header ranges: each side
+// of `..` takes `=` (inclusive) or `<` (exclusive), defaults 0-inclusive
+// start / exclusive end. Prefix form takes markers too ([..=2], [<..3]);
+// [..] is the whole slice; bounds are arbitrary expressions; strings slice
+// through the same path.
+
+#import "modules/std.sx";
+
+dump :: (s: []s64, tag: string) {
+    print("{}: ", tag);
+    for s (v) { print("{} ", v); }
+    print("(len {})\n", s.len);
+}
+
+main :: () -> s32 {
+    xs : [6]s64 = .[10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15];
+    full : []s64 = xs[0..6];
+
+    dump(full[1..=3],  "1..=3");     // 11 12 13
+    dump(full[0<..<4], "0<..<4");    // 11 12 13
+    dump(full[..=2],   "..=2");      // 10 11 12
+    dump(full[<..3],   "<..3");      // 11 12
+    dump(full[2<..],   "2<..");      // 13 14 15
+    dump(full[..],     "..");        // all six
+    x := 3;
+    dump(full[x-1..=x+1], "x-1..=x+1"); // 12 13 14
+
+    s := "abcdef";
+    print("str 1..=3: {}\n", s[1..=3]);   // bcd
+    print("str 0<..<4: {}\n", s[0<..<4]); // bcd
+    0
+}
diff --git a/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.exit b/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.exit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..573541a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+0
diff --git a/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stderr b/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b13789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stdout b/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fdf1b10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/0052-basic-slice-range-bounds.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+1..=3: 11 12 13 (len 3)
+0<..<4: 11 12 13 (len 3)
+..=2: 10 11 12 (len 3)
+<..3: 11 12 (len 2)
+2<..: 13 14 15 (len 3)
+..: 10 11 12 13 14 15 (len 6)
+x-1..=x+1: 12 13 14 (len 3)
+str 1..=3: bcd
+str 0<..<4: bcd
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 2fa7919..461d4b4 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ for 1..=5, 0.. (a, b) { print("{}:{}\n", a, b); }   // a: 1..5, b follows
 for items (val) => total += val;                    // arrow body
 for 0<..<n (i) { }                                  // bound markers: 1 .. n-1
 for 0=..=n (i) { }                                  //                0 .. n
+sub := items[1..=3];                                // slices take them too
 
 // Defer
 f := open("file.txt");
diff --git a/specs.md b/specs.md
index 419d4ce..42def10 100644
--- a/specs.md
+++ b/specs.md
@@ -965,9 +965,22 @@ word := msg[6..11];  // string → "world"
 - `expr[start..end]` — elements from `start` (inclusive) to `end` (exclusive)
 - `expr[start..]` — elements from `start` to end
 - `expr[..end]` — elements from beginning to `end`
+- `expr[..]` — the whole collection as a slice
 - Result type: `[]T` for arrays/slices, `string` for strings
 - No memory allocation — the result points into the original backing storage
 
+Slice ranges take the same bound markers as for-header ranges — `=`
+inclusive / `<` exclusive on either side of `..`, defaulting to
+start-inclusive, end-exclusive:
+```sx
+arr[1..=3]    // elements 1, 2, 3
+arr[0<..<4]   // elements 1, 2, 3
+arr[..=2]     // elements 0, 1, 2 (prefix form takes markers too)
+arr[2<..]     // elements 3 .. len-1
+```
+An explicit end marker (`..=` / `..<`) requires an end expression. Bounds
+are arbitrary expressions (`arr[x-1..=x+1]`).
+
 ### Pointer Types
 
 | Syntax | Meaning | `.len` | `[i]` |
diff --git a/src/ast.zig b/src/ast.zig
index 6bec56b..1bd6af3 100644
--- a/src/ast.zig
+++ b/src/ast.zig
@@ -594,8 +594,12 @@ pub const IndexExpr = struct {
 
 pub const SliceExpr = struct {
     object: *Node,
-    start: ?*Node = null,
-    end: ?*Node = null,
+    start: ?*Node = null, // null = 0
+    end: ?*Node = null, // null = len
+    /// `<..` family — slice begins one past `start`.
+    start_exclusive: bool = false,
+    /// `..=` family — slice includes `end`.
+    end_inclusive: bool = false,
 };
 
 pub const PointerTypeExpr = struct {
diff --git a/src/ir/lower/expr.zig b/src/ir/lower/expr.zig
index e75882c..a45c399 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower/expr.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower/expr.zig
@@ -1207,8 +1207,10 @@ pub fn lowerIndexExpr(self: *Lowering, ie: *const ast.IndexExpr) Ref {
 
 pub fn lowerSliceExpr(self: *Lowering, se: *const ast.SliceExpr) Ref {
     const obj = self.lowerExpr(se.object);
-    const lo = if (se.start) |s| self.lowerExpr(s) else self.builder.constInt(0, .s64);
-    const hi = if (se.end) |e| self.lowerExpr(e) else self.builder.emit(.{ .length = .{ .operand = obj } }, .s64);
+    var lo = if (se.start) |s| self.lowerExpr(s) else self.builder.constInt(0, .s64);
+    if (se.start_exclusive) lo = self.builder.add(lo, self.builder.constInt(1, .s64), .s64);
+    var hi = if (se.end) |e| self.lowerExpr(e) else self.builder.emit(.{ .length = .{ .operand = obj } }, .s64);
+    if (se.end_inclusive) hi = self.builder.add(hi, self.builder.constInt(1, .s64), .s64);
     // Infer result slice type from the object
     const obj_ty = self.inferExprType(se.object);
     // Subslice of string stays string (same {ptr, i64} layout, correct type category)
diff --git a/src/parser.zig b/src/parser.zig
index bb318d5..89b1bdd 100644
--- a/src/parser.zig
+++ b/src/parser.zig
@@ -2575,26 +2575,45 @@ pub const Parser = struct {
                 const saved_hdr_idx = self.in_for_header;
                 self.in_for_header = false;
                 defer self.in_for_header = saved_hdr_idx;
-                if (self.current.tag == .dot_dot) {
-                    // [..end]
+                if (rangeTokenInfo(self.current.tag)) |rt| {
+                    // Prefix form: [..end] / [..=end] / [..] — implicit 0 start
+                    // (a start marker applies to it: [<..end] begins at 1).
                     self.advance();
-                    const end_expr = try self.parseExpr();
+                    if (rt.end_marked and self.current.tag == .r_bracket) {
+                        return self.fail("a range with an explicit end marker ('..=' / '..<') requires an end expression — the open form is '..'");
+                    }
+                    const end_expr: ?*ast.Node = if (self.current.tag != .r_bracket)
+                        try self.parseExpr()
+                    else
+                        null;
                     try self.expect(.r_bracket);
                     expr = try self.createNode(expr.span.start, .{ .slice_expr = .{
-                        .object = expr, .start = null, .end = end_expr,
+                        .object = expr,
+                        .start = null,
+                        .end = end_expr,
+                        .start_exclusive = rt.start_exclusive,
+                        .end_inclusive = rt.end_inclusive,
                     } });
                 } else {
                     const first = try self.parseExpr();
-                    if (self.current.tag == .dot_dot) {
-                        // [start..end] or [start..]
+                    if (rangeTokenInfo(self.current.tag)) |rt| {
+                        // [start..end] or [start..] — same bound-marker matrix
+                        // as the for-header ranges.
                         self.advance();
+                        if (rt.end_marked and self.current.tag == .r_bracket) {
+                            return self.fail("a range with an explicit end marker ('..=' / '..<') requires an end expression — the open form is 'a..'");
+                        }
                         const end_expr: ?*ast.Node = if (self.current.tag != .r_bracket)
                             try self.parseExpr()
                         else
                             null;
                         try self.expect(.r_bracket);
                         expr = try self.createNode(expr.span.start, .{ .slice_expr = .{
-                            .object = expr, .start = first, .end = end_expr,
+                            .object = expr,
+                            .start = first,
+                            .end = end_expr,
+                            .start_exclusive = rt.start_exclusive,
+                            .end_inclusive = rt.end_inclusive,
                         } });
                     } else {
                         // [index] — normal index access