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foreignthon-docs/docs/custom-packs.md
2026-05-21 14:40:58 +00:00

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## Custom Packs
ForeignThon lets you extend or override any installed language pack locally — no PyPI account, no new package required. You can also scaffold a completely new language from scratch.
---
## Local override
Create a `custom.json` in your project root with only the keys you want to change:
```json
{
"builtins": {
"show": "print"
},
"keywords": {
"when": "if"
}
}
```
Then reference it in `.foreignthon.toml`:
```toml
[foreignthon]
lang = "es"
custom_pack = "custom.json"
```
Custom keys are merged on top of the installed pack. Installed pack keys are preserved — only the keys you define in `custom.json` are overridden.
!!! tip
ForeignThon walks up the directory tree to find `.foreignthon.toml`, so you can place it at the project root and run `fpy` from any subdirectory.
---
## Scaffold a new language
If no pack exists for your language yet:
```bash
fpy new myproject --lang custom
```
You will be prompted for:
- Language code (e.g. `ru`, `fr`, `ar`)
- English name (e.g. `Russian`)
- Native name (e.g. `Русский`)
This generates a `custom.json` based on the official template — every Python keyword, builtin, exception, and stdlib module is listed with the English value as a placeholder. Replace the **keys** with your language's words.
```json
{
"keywords": {
"if": "if", replace the key, keep the value
"for": "for",
"def": "def",
...
}
}
```
The `.foreignthon.toml` is automatically wired to use this file.
---
## Pack schema
A standalone pack must have these top-level sections:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| `meta` | Name, code, version, authors |
| `keywords` | Python reserved words |
| `builtins` | Built-in functions |
| `exceptions` | Built-in exception classes |
| `error_messages` | Translations for bilingual error output |
| `stdlib` | Common standard library module names |
| `postfix_keywords` | English keywords to rewrite in `--postfix` output |
Validate your pack at any time:
```bash
fpy pack custom.json
# ✓ Pack 'Russian' is valid.
```
---
## Publishing
Once your `custom.json` is complete and working, you can turn it into a proper `foreignthon-xx` package on PyPI so others can install it with `pip install foreignthon-xx`.
See [Contributing → Language Packs](contributing/language-packs.md) for the full guide.