# Lemma Engine
> **A language that means business.**
Lemma Engine is the Rust crate behind the Lemma language. It lets you parse, validate, and evaluate Lemma docs from your own applications while keeping the same natural, auditable semantics that the CLI exposes.
## Status
Lemma is still early-stage and **not yet recommended for production use**. Expect breaking changes, evolving semantics, and incomplete tooling while the project matures.
## Why Lemma?
- **Readable by business stakeholders** – rules look like the policies people already write
- **Deterministic and auditable** – every evaluation returns a full trace explaining the result
- **Type-aware** – dates, percentages, units, and automatic conversions are first-class
- **Composable** – documents extend and reference each other without boilerplate
- **Multi-platform** – use the engine from Rust, power the CLI/HTTP server, or ship via WebAssembly
## Quick start
Add the crate:
```toml
[dependencies]
lemma-engine = "0.7.3"
```
### Minimal example
```rust
use lemma::Engine;
let mut engine = Engine::new();
engine.add_lemma_code(r#"
doc compensation
fact base_salary = 60000
fact bonus_rate = 10%
rule bonus = base_salary * bonus_rate
rule total = base_salary + bonus?
"#, "compensation.lemma")?;
let response = engine.evaluate("compensation", None, None)?;
for result in response.results {
if let Some(value) = result.result {
println!("{}: {}", result.rule_name, value);
}
}
```
### Providing values at runtime
```rust
use lemma::Engine;
use std::collections::HashMap;
let mut engine = Engine::new();
engine.add_lemma_code(r#"
doc shipping
fact weight = 5 kilogram
fact destination = "domestic"
rule rate = 10
unless weight > 10 kilogram then 15
unless destination is "international" then 25
rule valid = weight <= 30 kilogram
unless veto "Package too heavy for shipping"
"#, "shipping.lemma")?;
let mut values = HashMap::new();
values.insert("weight".to_string(), "12 kilogram".to_string());
values.insert("destination".to_string(), "international".to_string());
let response = engine.evaluate("shipping", None, Some(values))?;
```
### Inverse reasoning
Inversion allows you to find what input values produce a desired output. This is useful for questions like "What quantity gives me a 30% discount?" or "What salary produces a total compensation of €100,000?"
#### Basic example
```rust
use lemma::{Engine, Target, LiteralValue};
use std::collections::HashMap;
use rust_decimal::Decimal;
let mut engine = Engine::new();
engine.add_lemma_code(r#"
doc pricing
fact quantity = [number]
fact is_vip = false
rule discount = 0%
unless quantity >= 10 then 10%
unless quantity >= 50 then 20%
unless is_vip then 25%
"#, "pricing.lemma")?;
// Find what quantity gives a 30% discount
use rust_decimal::Decimal;
let response = engine.invert(
"pricing",
"discount",
Target::value(LiteralValue::Percentage(Decimal::from(30))),
HashMap::new()
)?;
// Response contains solutions showing: is_vip must be true
```
#### API variants
**1. `invert()` - String-based values (user-friendly)**
Accepts string values that are automatically parsed based on document types:
```rust
let mut values = HashMap::new();
values.insert("is_vip".to_string(), "true".to_string());
let response = engine.invert(
"pricing",
"discount",
Target::value(LiteralValue::Percentage(Decimal::from(25))),
values
)?;
```
**2. `invert_json()` - JSON input (convenience)**
Accepts JSON bytes directly:
```rust
let json = br#"{"is_vip": true}"#;
let response = engine.invert_json(
"pricing",
"discount",
Target::value(LiteralValue::Percentage(Decimal::from(25))),
json
)?;
```
#### Target specification
Use `Target` to specify the desired outcome:
```rust
use lemma::{Target, TargetOp, OperationResult};
// Exact value (equality)
Target::value(LiteralValue::Percentage(Decimal::from(30)))
// Comparison operators
Target::with_op(
TargetOp::Gt,
OperationResult::Value(LiteralValue::number(100))
) // > 100
Target::with_op(
TargetOp::Lte,
OperationResult::Value(LiteralValue::number(50))
) // <= 50
// Find any veto
Target::any_veto()
// Find specific veto message
Target::veto(Some("Invalid input".to_string()))
```
#### Response structure
`InversionResponse` contains:
- **`solutions`**: Concrete domain constraints for each free variable
- **`shape`**: Symbolic representation of the solution space (piecewise function)
- **`free_variables`**: Facts that are not fully determined
- **`is_fully_constrained`**: Whether all facts have concrete values
```rust
let response = engine.invert(...)?;
if response.is_fully_constrained {
println!("All variables are determined");
} else {
println!("Free variables: {:?}", response.free_variables);
}
for (var, domain) in &response.solutions {
println!("{}: {:?}", var, domain);
}
```
## Features
- **Rich type system** – percentages, mass, length, duration, temperature, pressure, power, energy, frequency, and data sizes
- **Automatic unit conversions** – convert between units inside expressions without extra code
- **Document composition** – extend documents, override facts, and reuse rules across modules
- **Audit trail** – every evaluation returns the operations that led to each result
- **Inverse reasoning** – find what inputs produce desired outputs
- **WebAssembly build** – `npm install @benrogmans/lemma-engine` to run Lemma in browsers and at the edge
## Installation options
### As a library
```bash
cargo add lemma-engine
```
### CLI tool
```bash
cargo install lemma-cli
lemma run pricing quantity=10
```
### HTTP server
```bash
cargo install lemma-cli
lemma server --port 8080
```
### WebAssembly
```bash
npm install @benrogmans/lemma-engine
```
## Documentation
- Language guide: <https://benrogmans.github.io/lemma/>
- API documentation: <https://docs.rs/lemma-engine>
- Examples: <https://github.com/benrogmans/lemma/tree/main/documentation/examples>
- CLI usage: <https://github.com/benrogmans/lemma/blob/main/documentation/CLI.md>
- Roadmap: <https://github.com/benrogmans/lemma/blob/main/documentation/roadmap.md>
## Use cases
- Compensation plans and employment contracts
- Pricing, shipping, and discount policies
- Tax and finance calculations
- Insurance eligibility and premium rules
- Compliance and validation logic
- SLA and service-level calculations
## Contributing
Contributions are very welcome! See [documentation/contributing.md](https://github.com/benrogmans/lemma/blob/main/documentation/contributing.md) and the [project roadmap](https://github.com/benrogmans/lemma/blob/main/documentation/roadmap.md) for ideas.
## License
Apache 2.0