[xpointer]

Hi, I'm the creator of Velato. I will be reworking the website to include more examples later this year. In the mean time, the latest version of the compiler is on github: https://github.com/rottytooth/Velato

No one has yet written a quine although I would love to see one -- perhaps outputting its representation in lilypond format.

[Rochus]

Since you're the author I can ask you directly, what the purpose is of the language. Why did you choose MIDI as a form of representation? What kind of programs are you implementing with it? Where are these programs supposed to be executed, on MIDI instruments?

[xpointer]

I first made the language (fifteen years ago!) out of curiosity about esolangs and as a first try at writing a compiler. And for fun, yes. Since then, I've written more about multicoding -- the way two readings of code impact each other -- and thought more about the music that results (some links in my comment below). This is the aspect of the language that interests me now.

I chose MIDI since it's a standard and leaves to the programmer the choice of tool to compose the program. There's an IDE in the works geared for live performance of the language (that will not be MIDI, but not ready to say yet how it will work; it has the same lexicon but is quite a different language in practice).

[lieuwex]

For fun I suppose? See: esoteric programming languages

[beeboobaa]

Whenever I see questions like this I have to wonder: Do you really lack the creative spark that lets you imagine why something like this would be fun to create?

[WillAdams]

Have you ever read Hermann Hesse's _The Glass Bead Game_? (also published as _Magister Audi_)

Every time I see alternative representations of knowledge/computer code/algorithms it comes to mind.

Would you expect a person to be able to achieve a mastery of this to the point where they could play and control something in an improvisation? Say something like to the character Agatha Heterodyne of Kaja and Phil Foglio's web comic _Girl Genius_ controlling an army of clanks (robots):

https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061229

[xpointer]

Funny you should ask; someone interviewed me about a few of my esolangs for their dissertation last year and referenced the Glass Bead Game.

It would take a lot of practice to improvise Velato, but that would be amazing!

[WillAdams]

_Magister Ludi_ (stupid auto-correct)

[tutfbhuf]

Is there any reason why your website does not support HTTPS?

[cmiller1]

I wish more websites were still HTTP! I can't access most of the modern web from my vintage computers and I see no reason I need security on websites I'm not logging into.

[xpointer]

It will move to https when I update it later this year

[otikik]

This is a very creative project, congratulations!

One obvious step is to try to make it bootstrapped. Have the velato compiler be a velato.mid file.

[Optimal_Persona]

Extra meta-bonus points if the quine's MIDI notes are from a transcription of a Robert Quine guitar solo!

Fascinating project, xpointer!