This is the README file for Proto-Quipper.

Prerequisites

The following are required to compile Proto-Quipper:

• The GHC Haskell compiler (tested with version 7.4.2)

• Alex and Happy (lexer and parser for Haskell)

• The Haskell readline library. Note: this is not required on the Windows operating system. On all other operating systems, it can be installed with:

  cabal install readline

Building

In the top-level directory, type "make".

Description

Synopsis: ProtoQuipper [OPTION] .. [FILE] .. Types and interprets FILEs, or if no FILE is given, run the interactive mode.

-t, --type don't run the interpreter.

-r, --run run the interpret (default mode).

-f FORMAT, --format=FORMAT change the circuit output format. Implemented formats are * "visual": display the circuit on the standard output * "ir": print the Intermediate Representation of the circuit

-i DIR, --include=DIR include the directory

-h, --help display this help and exit

-V, --version output version and exit

-v [LVL], --verbose[=LVL] change the verbose level

Interactive Mode

The interactive mode accepts the commands:

:help -- Show the list of commands :exit -- Quit the interactive mode :path

-- Add a directory to the current module path :type -- Show the type of an expression :fulltype -- Show the type of an expression, along with the associated constraints :context -- List the variables of the current context :display -- Display the toplevel circuit :value -- Display the value of one or more variables

User guide

For a tutorial introduction to Proto-Quipper, see Section 8, "Proto-Quipper user guide", of the Proto-Quipper report.

Browsing the documentation and source code

While it is possible the browse the source code of the Proto-Quipper implementation in a text editor, it is much nicer to browse the documented source by pointing your web browser to doc/frames.html in this Proto-Quipper distribution. The documented source is fully cross-referenced and indexed, with links to color-coded raw source files.

The distribution also contains object code examples, written in Proto-Quipper. These can be found in the directories qlib and bwt.

Building the documentation

If the programs "haddock" and "HsColour" are installed, the documentation can be built with "make haddock".

Emacs mode

A very basic emacs editing mode for Proto-Quipper files (file extension .qp) is located in the emacs directory. It currently does nothing but some syntax coloring.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Why do you use the acronym "QP" and not "PQ"?

A: Some of the Proto-Quipper implementors are from France, where "PQ" apparently is a vulgar term for "toilet paper". (Among French speakers in Canada, there are no such sensitivities, as PQ is the acronym for a well-known political party here).

Contact

For support, please contact Peter Selinger [email protected].