Hey, guess what?
There’s a brand new programming language for AI developers called Mojo!
I know what you’re thinking—another language to learn from scratch.
But hold on, here’s the good news:
Mojo is designed as a superset of Python.
So, if you’re already familiar with Python, learning Mojo won’t be a daunting task.
And wait, there’s more!
Mojo combines the usability of Python with the incredible performance of C.
That means it can be up to 35,000 times faster than Python—talk about a speed boost!
If you’re passionate about AI and already have a grasp on Python, then Mojo is definitely worth a try.
Trust me, it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss.
Need more details? No worries, I’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about Mojo.
Let’s dive in and explore this exciting new language together!
What’s the point of Mojo?
We love Python because it’s simple and versatile.
It’s the go-to language for data science, machine learning, and AI.
However, when it comes to high-performance tasks, Python is just a glue.
A connector to faster languages like C and C++.
Enter Mojo, a programming language that combines Python’s ease with C’s speed.
Mojo comes from Modular, a company founded by Chris Lattner, the genius behind Swift and LLVM.
Mojo offers the best of both worlds. Let’s dive into its fantastic features!
Features of Mojo
So I did sign up for Mojo access here shortly after it was announced.
I was pleasantly surprised when I got a welcome mail from them some days later.
Welcoming me to the Mojo playground.
I couldn’t resist diving in and exploring all the cool new features they had to offer.
I even had the chance to run some code and see it in action. It was quite an adventure!
I discovered 7 awesome Python upgrades that I think you’ll love:
1. let and var declarations
Python lets you name values.
This action creates a variable.
It happens within a function.
This coding style is user-friendly, but it’s not all smooth sailing.
There are two hurdles.
First, programmers generally prefer unchanging values.
They demand, “Keep it constant!”
Second, they seek prompt notifications for errors.
“Did I misname a variable?” they wonder.
def your_function(a, b):
let c = a
# Uncomment to see an error:
# c = b # error: c is immutable
if c != b:
let d = b
print(d)
your_function(2, 3)To handle these things, Mojo has “let” and “var” statements.
These statements create new values that only exist when the program is running.
“Let” makes a value that can’t be changed. “Var” makes a value that can.
Yes – it’s not like JavaScript let and var – There’s no hoisting for var. let is constant.
They both use lexical scoping.
2. Zero-cost abstraction with structs
Programming today can create simple and safe abstractions.
These abstractions are based on basic data controls.
They also rely on direct access to fields.
Mojo, a programming language, does this using a concept called a struct type.
struct MyPair:
var first: Int
var second: Int
# We use 'fn' instead of 'def' here - we'll explain that soon
fn __init__(inout self, first: Int, second: Int):
self.first = first
self.second = second
fn __lt__(self, rhs: MyPair) -> Bool:
return self.first < rhs.first or
(self.first == rhs.first and
self.second < rhs.second)Struct types have similarities with classes.
Classes, however, can change a lot.
Structs are different – they remain fixed.
They are determined when the program is written.
Structs are also inserted directly into their container.
3. Strong type checking
You can use both flexible and strict types in Mojo.
Just like in Python.
But Mojo has more options.
It can use stricter type-checking.
Mojo does this mainly with the ‘struct’ type.
def pairTest() -> Bool:
let p = MyPair(1, 2)
# Uncomment to see an error:
# return p < 4 # gives a compile time error
return TrueThe ‘struct’ sets a fixed name when the code is compiled.
This name, when used in a type situation, has strict rules for the value set.
4. Method overloading
Absolutely, here you go:
Mojo is like Python.
It lets you create functions.
You don’t need to specify data types.
Mojo can guess those.
Want to be more certain?
Mojo can do that too.
It supports overloaded functions and methods.
What are those?
They’re functions with the same name.
They work with different data types.
This is common in languages like C++, Java, and Swift.
Let’s take a look at an example:
struct Complex:
var re: F32
var im: F32
fn __init__(inout self, x: F32):
"""Makes a complex number from a real number."""
self.re = x
self.im = 0.0
fn __init__(inout self, r: F32, i: F32):
"""Makes a complex number from its real and imaginary parts."""
self.re = r
self.im = i
Isn’t it interesting?
You can use ‘overloads’ anywhere.
This includes module functions and class methods.
But remember two things.
Mojo doesn’t overload based on result type.
It also doesn’t use the context to guess the data type.
This keeps Mojo simple, fast, and reliable.
No “expression too complex” errors here.
Mojo is designed to be easy and quick.
5. Python integration
Using Python modules in Mojo is simple.
Remember I told you it’s a superset of Python?
You’ll love how straightforward it is.
Just use Python.import_module() with the module name. Here’s how:
from PythonInterface import Python
# Think of this as `import numpy as np` in Python
let np = Python.import_module("numpy")
# Now it's like you're using numpy in Python
array = np.array([1, 2, 3])
print(array)Great, right?
That’s how you import Python’s NumPy.
You can do the same for any Python module.
There’s one limitation, though.
You can’t import individual members.
You need to import the whole module.
Then you can access the members via the module name.
And don’t stress about memory management.
It’s handled smoothly when you’re using Python in Mojo.
It just works!
That’s because Mojo was built with Python in mind from the start.
6. fn definitions
Mojo’s extensions offer low-level programming.
They provide abstraction.
But some programmers want more control, more predictability.
They find Mojo’s def not enough.
def is flexible, mutable, Python-friendly.
It’s great for scripting, but not all system programming.
Mojo has a ‘strict mode’ called fn.
struct MyPair:
...
# We use 'fn' instead of 'def' here - we'll explain that soon
fn __init__(inout self, first: Int, second: Int):
self.first = first
self.second = secondfn and def are interchangeable.
Yet, fn is stricter, more controlled.
It has limitations unlike def.
For example, fn’s arguments are immutable, catching accidental mutations.
It allows non-copyable types as arguments.
7. Memory ownership and borrower checker
Mojo supports a feature called the owned argument convention.
This is used when a function needs to take full control of a value.
A common use is with the postfix ^ operator.
Take an example.
Let’s assume we’re working with a unique pointer.
This is not a real unique pointer.
It’s just a model of its behavior.
Here’s what it looks like:
struct UniquePointer:
var ptr: Int
fn __init__(inout self, ptr: Int):
self.ptr = ptr
fn __moveinit__(inout self, owned existing: Self):
self.ptr = existing.ptr
fn __del__(owned self):
self.ptr = 0
Let’s say we attempt to copy it.
There’d be an error, as we’d expect.
let p = UniquePointer(100)
# Uncomment to see the error:
# let q = p # ERROR: value of type 'UniquePointer' cannot be copied into its destinationWe have a method called borrow convention.
It allows us to work with the unique pointer without any trouble.
But sometimes, we want to pass the ownership to another function.
This is where the ^ operator comes in.
The ^ operator does a specific task.
It ends the life of a value binding.
It then passes the value to something else.
In our example, it’s the take_ptr function.
To support this, we can create functions that take owned arguments.
For instance, defining take_ptr:
fn use_ptr(borrowed p: UniquePointer):
print("use_ptr")
print(p.ptr)
fn take_ptr(owned p: UniquePointer):
print("take_ptr")
print(p.ptr)Final thoughts
Mojo, the new programming language for AI developers, combines Python’s ease with C’s speed, providing a significant performance boost.
With features like “let” and “var” declarations, structs, strong type checking, method overloading, and Python integration, Mojo offers a comprehensive toolset.
Embrace Mojo’s potential to revolutionize AI development, leveraging the simplicity of Python with enhanced performance. Embark on this exciting language and unlock new possibilities in the world of AI.
Ayibatari Ibaba is a software developer with years of experience building websites and apps. He has written extensively on a wide range of programming topics and has created dozens of apps and open-source libraries.
