Urbit Developers
  • Hoon

    • Overview
    • Cheat Sheet
    • Irregular forms
    • Hoon Errors
    • Hoon Style Guide
    • Basic Types
    • Advanced Types
    • Auras
    • Arvo
    • Standard Library

      • 1a: Basic Arithmetic
      • 1b: Tree Addressing
      • 1c: Molds and Mold-Builders
      • 2a: Unit Logic
      • 2b: List Logic
      • 2c: Bit Arithmetic
      • 2d: Bit Logic
      • 2e: Insecure Hashing
      • 2f: Noun Ordering
      • 2g: Unsigned Powers
      • 2h: Set Logic
      • 2i: Map Logic
      • 2j: Jar and Jug Logic
      • 2k: Queue Logic
      • 2l: Container from Container
      • 2m: Container from Noun
      • 2n: Functional Hacks
      • 2o: Normalizing Containers
      • 2p: Serialization
      • 2q: Molds and Mold-Builders
      • 3a: Modular and Signed Ints
      • 3b: Floating Point
      • 3c: Urbit Time
      • 3d: SHA Hash Family
      • 3e: AES encryption (Removed)
      • 3f: Scrambling
      • 3g: Molds and Mold-Builders
      • 4a: Exotic Bases
      • 4b: Text Processing
      • 4c: Tank Printer
      • 4d: Parsing (Tracing)
      • 4e: Parsing (Combinators)
      • 4f: Parsing (Rule-Builders)
      • 4g: Parsing (Outside Caller)
      • 4h: Parsing (ASCII Glyphs)
      • 4i: Parsing (Useful Idioms)
      • 4j: Parsing (Bases and Base Digits)
      • 4k: Atom Printing
      • 4l: Atom Parsing
      • 4m: Formatting Functions
      • 4n: Virtualization
      • 4o: Molds
      • 5a: Compiler Utilities
      • 5b: Macro Expansion
      • 5c: Compiler Backend & Prettyprinter
      • 5d: Parser
      • 5e: Molds and mold builders
      • 5f: Profiling support
      • Runes

        • Constants (Atoms and Strings)
        • + lus · Arms
        • | bar · Cores
        • $ buc · Structures
        • % cen · Calls
        • : col · Cells
        • . dot · Nock
        • / fas · Imports
        • ^ ket · Casts
        • ; mic · Make
        • ~ sig · Hints
        • = tis · Subject
        • ? wut · Conditionals
        • ! zap · Wild
        • --, == Terminators
        • Limbs and wings

          • Limbs
          • Wings
          • Zuse

            • 2d(1-5): To JSON, Wains
            • 2d(6): From JSON
            • 2d(7): From JSON (unit)
            • 2e(2-3): Print & Parse JSON
            • 2m: Ordered Maps
          • Arvo

            • Overview
            • Ames

              • Overview
              • Cryptography
              • API Reference
              • Scry Reference
              • Data Types
              • Behn

                • Overview
                • API Reference
                • Scry Reference
                • Examples
                • Clay

                  • Overview
                  • Architecture
                  • Using Clay
                  • Data Types
                  • Scry Reference
                  • API Reference
                  • Examples
                  • Marks

                    • Overview
                    • Writing Marks
                    • Using Marks
                    • Examples
                  • Dill

                    • Overview
                    • API Reference
                    • Scry Reference
                    • Data Types
                    • Eyre

                      • Overview
                      • External API Reference
                      • Internal API Reference
                      • Scry Reference
                      • Data Types
                      • Guide
                      • Gall

                        • Overview
                        • API Reference
                        • Data Types
                        • Threads Reference
                        • Iris

                          • Overview
                          • API Reference
                          • Data Types
                          • Example
                          • Jael

                            • Overview
                            • API Reference
                            • Scry Reference
                            • Data Types
                            • Examples
                            • Khan

                              • Overview
                              • API Reference
                              • Data Types
                              • Example
                              • Threads

                                • Overview
                                • HTTP API
                                • Reference
                                • Gall

                                  • Start Thread
                                  • Take Result
                                  • Take Facts
                                  • Stop Thread
                                  • Poke Thread
                                  • Examples

                                    • Fetch JSON
                                    • Child Thread
                                    • Main-loop
                                    • Poke Agent
                                    • Scry
                                    • Take Fact
                                  • Concepts

                                    • Scries
                                    • Subscriptions
                                    • Tutorials

                                      • Move Trace
                                      • Reference

                                        • Cryptography
                                        • Filesystem Hierarchy
                                      • Nock

                                        • Nock Definition
                                        • Explanation
                                        • Example
                                        • Implementations
                                        • Vere

                                          • C Runtime System
                                          • Land of Nouns
                                          • API overview by prefix
                                          • C in Urbit
                                          • Writing Jets
                                          • Cryptography
                                          • Azimuth

                                            • Overview
                                            • Urbit HD Wallet
                                            • Azimuth Data Flow
                                            • Azimuth.eth
                                            • Ecliptic.eth
                                            • Advanced Azimuth Tools
                                            • Life and Rift
                                            • Layer 2

                                              • Layer 2 Overview
                                              • Layer 2 Actions
                                              • Transaction Format
                                              • Rollers
                                              • Roller HTTP RPC-API
                                              • Custom Roller Tutorial
                                            • Glossary

                                              • Agent
                                              • Ames
                                              • API
                                              • Aqua
                                              • Arm
                                              • Arvo
                                              • Atom
                                              • Aura
                                              • Aural ASCII
                                              • Azimuth
                                              • Battery
                                              • Behn
                                              • Bowl
                                              • Bridge
                                              • Bunt
                                              • Card
                                              • Case
                                              • Cask
                                              • Cell
                                              • Censures
                                              • Claims
                                              • Clay
                                              • Cold atom
                                              • Comet
                                              • Commit
                                              • Cons
                                              • Context
                                              • Cord
                                              • Core
                                              • Delegated Sending
                                              • Desk
                                              • Dill
                                              • Document Proposal
                                              • Dojo
                                              • Door
                                              • Double-boot
                                              • Dry Gate
                                              • Duct
                                              • Ecliptic
                                              • Entropy
                                              • Event Log
                                              • Eyre
                                              • Face
                                              • Fact
                                              • Foo Bar Baz
                                              • Galaxy
                                              • Gall
                                              • Garden
                                              • Gate
                                              • Generator
                                              • Gift
                                              • Glob
                                              • HD Wallet
                                              • Helm
                                              • Hood
                                              • Hoon
                                              • Invite Tree
                                              • Iris
                                              • Jael
                                              • Jet
                                              • Kelvin versioning
                                              • Kelvin versioning
                                              • Keyfile
                                              • Keywords
                                              • Khan
                                              • Kiln
                                              • Landscape
                                              • Leg
                                              • List
                                              • Loobean
                                              • Lull
                                              • Mark
                                              • Metals
                                              • Mold
                                              • Monad
                                              • Moon
                                              • Move
                                              • Nock
                                              • Noun
                                              • ~
                                              • OTA Updates
                                              • Path Prefix
                                              • Path
                                              • @p
                                              • Payload
                                              • Peek
                                              • pH
                                              • Pier
                                              • Pill
                                              • Planet
                                              • Poke
                                              • Proxies
                                              • Replay
                                              • Factory Reset
                                              • Roller
                                              • Naive rollups
                                              • Rune
                                              • Runtime
                                              • Sail
                                              • Sample
                                              • Scry
                                              • Senate
                                              • Ship
                                              • Slam
                                              • Spider
                                              • Sponsor
                                              • Star
                                              • String
                                              • Subject Oriented Programming
                                              • Subject
                                              • Subscription
                                              • Tape
                                              • Thread
                                              • Trap
                                              • Udon
                                              • Upgrade Proposal
                                              • Userspace
                                              • Vane
                                              • Vase
                                              • Vere
                                              • Voting
                                              • Warm atom
                                              • Wet Gate
                                              • Wing
                                              • Wire
                                              • Wrapper
                                              • ~zod
                                              • Zuse
                                              • Additional

                                                • Cryptography
                                                • Mips (Maps of Maps)
                                                • Software Distribution

                                                  • Overview
                                                  • Docket File
                                                  • Glob
                                                Urbit Developers
                                                • Hoon

                                                  • Overview
                                                  • Cheat Sheet
                                                  • Irregular forms
                                                  • Hoon Errors
                                                  • Hoon Style Guide
                                                  • Basic Types
                                                  • Advanced Types
                                                  • Auras
                                                  • Arvo
                                                  • Standard Library

                                                    • 1a: Basic Arithmetic
                                                    • 1b: Tree Addressing
                                                    • 1c: Molds and Mold-Builders
                                                    • 2a: Unit Logic
                                                    • 2b: List Logic
                                                    • 2c: Bit Arithmetic
                                                    • 2d: Bit Logic
                                                    • 2e: Insecure Hashing
                                                    • 2f: Noun Ordering
                                                    • 2g: Unsigned Powers
                                                    • 2h: Set Logic
                                                    • 2i: Map Logic
                                                    • 2j: Jar and Jug Logic
                                                    • 2k: Queue Logic
                                                    • 2l: Container from Container
                                                    • 2m: Container from Noun
                                                    • 2n: Functional Hacks
                                                    • 2o: Normalizing Containers
                                                    • 2p: Serialization
                                                    • 2q: Molds and Mold-Builders
                                                    • 3a: Modular and Signed Ints
                                                    • 3b: Floating Point
                                                    • 3c: Urbit Time
                                                    • 3d: SHA Hash Family
                                                    • 3e: AES encryption (Removed)
                                                    • 3f: Scrambling
                                                    • 3g: Molds and Mold-Builders
                                                    • 4a: Exotic Bases
                                                    • 4b: Text Processing
                                                    • 4c: Tank Printer
                                                    • 4d: Parsing (Tracing)
                                                    • 4e: Parsing (Combinators)
                                                    • 4f: Parsing (Rule-Builders)
                                                    • 4g: Parsing (Outside Caller)
                                                    • 4h: Parsing (ASCII Glyphs)
                                                    • 4i: Parsing (Useful Idioms)
                                                    • 4j: Parsing (Bases and Base Digits)
                                                    • 4k: Atom Printing
                                                    • 4l: Atom Parsing
                                                    • 4m: Formatting Functions
                                                    • 4n: Virtualization
                                                    • 4o: Molds
                                                    • 5a: Compiler Utilities
                                                    • 5b: Macro Expansion
                                                    • 5c: Compiler Backend & Prettyprinter
                                                    • 5d: Parser
                                                    • 5e: Molds and mold builders
                                                    • 5f: Profiling support
                                                    • Runes

                                                      • Constants (Atoms and Strings)
                                                      • + lus · Arms
                                                      • | bar · Cores
                                                      • $ buc · Structures
                                                      • % cen · Calls
                                                      • : col · Cells
                                                      • . dot · Nock
                                                      • / fas · Imports
                                                      • ^ ket · Casts
                                                      • ; mic · Make
                                                      • ~ sig · Hints
                                                      • = tis · Subject
                                                      • ? wut · Conditionals
                                                      • ! zap · Wild
                                                      • --, == Terminators
                                                      • Limbs and wings

                                                        • Limbs
                                                        • Wings
                                                        • Zuse

                                                          • 2d(1-5): To JSON, Wains
                                                          • 2d(6): From JSON
                                                          • 2d(7): From JSON (unit)
                                                          • 2e(2-3): Print & Parse JSON
                                                          • 2m: Ordered Maps
                                                        • Arvo

                                                          • Overview
                                                          • Ames

                                                            • Overview
                                                            • Cryptography
                                                            • API Reference
                                                            • Scry Reference
                                                            • Data Types
                                                            • Behn

                                                              • Overview
                                                              • API Reference
                                                              • Scry Reference
                                                              • Examples
                                                              • Clay

                                                                • Overview
                                                                • Architecture
                                                                • Using Clay
                                                                • Data Types
                                                                • Scry Reference
                                                                • API Reference
                                                                • Examples
                                                                • Marks

                                                                  • Overview
                                                                  • Writing Marks
                                                                  • Using Marks
                                                                  • Examples
                                                                • Dill

                                                                  • Overview
                                                                  • API Reference
                                                                  • Scry Reference
                                                                  • Data Types
                                                                  • Eyre

                                                                    • Overview
                                                                    • External API Reference
                                                                    • Internal API Reference
                                                                    • Scry Reference
                                                                    • Data Types
                                                                    • Guide
                                                                    • Gall

                                                                      • Overview
                                                                      • API Reference
                                                                      • Data Types
                                                                      • Threads Reference
                                                                      • Iris

                                                                        • Overview
                                                                        • API Reference
                                                                        • Data Types
                                                                        • Example
                                                                        • Jael

                                                                          • Overview
                                                                          • API Reference
                                                                          • Scry Reference
                                                                          • Data Types
                                                                          • Examples
                                                                          • Khan

                                                                            • Overview
                                                                            • API Reference
                                                                            • Data Types
                                                                            • Example
                                                                            • Threads

                                                                              • Overview
                                                                              • HTTP API
                                                                              • Reference
                                                                              • Gall

                                                                                • Start Thread
                                                                                • Take Result
                                                                                • Take Facts
                                                                                • Stop Thread
                                                                                • Poke Thread
                                                                                • Examples

                                                                                  • Fetch JSON
                                                                                  • Child Thread
                                                                                  • Main-loop
                                                                                  • Poke Agent
                                                                                  • Scry
                                                                                  • Take Fact
                                                                                • Concepts

                                                                                  • Scries
                                                                                  • Subscriptions
                                                                                  • Tutorials

                                                                                    • Move Trace
                                                                                    • Reference

                                                                                      • Cryptography
                                                                                      • Filesystem Hierarchy
                                                                                    • Nock

                                                                                      • Nock Definition
                                                                                      • Explanation
                                                                                      • Example
                                                                                      • Implementations
                                                                                      • Vere

                                                                                        • C Runtime System
                                                                                        • Land of Nouns
                                                                                        • API overview by prefix
                                                                                        • C in Urbit
                                                                                        • Writing Jets
                                                                                        • Cryptography
                                                                                        • Azimuth

                                                                                          • Overview
                                                                                          • Urbit HD Wallet
                                                                                          • Azimuth Data Flow
                                                                                          • Azimuth.eth
                                                                                          • Ecliptic.eth
                                                                                          • Advanced Azimuth Tools
                                                                                          • Life and Rift
                                                                                          • Layer 2

                                                                                            • Layer 2 Overview
                                                                                            • Layer 2 Actions
                                                                                            • Transaction Format
                                                                                            • Rollers
                                                                                            • Roller HTTP RPC-API
                                                                                            • Custom Roller Tutorial
                                                                                          • Glossary

                                                                                            • Agent
                                                                                            • Ames
                                                                                            • API
                                                                                            • Aqua
                                                                                            • Arm
                                                                                            • Arvo
                                                                                            • Atom
                                                                                            • Aura
                                                                                            • Aural ASCII
                                                                                            • Azimuth
                                                                                            • Battery
                                                                                            • Behn
                                                                                            • Bowl
                                                                                            • Bridge
                                                                                            • Bunt
                                                                                            • Card
                                                                                            • Case
                                                                                            • Cask
                                                                                            • Cell
                                                                                            • Censures
                                                                                            • Claims
                                                                                            • Clay
                                                                                            • Cold atom
                                                                                            • Comet
                                                                                            • Commit
                                                                                            • Cons
                                                                                            • Context
                                                                                            • Cord
                                                                                            • Core
                                                                                            • Delegated Sending
                                                                                            • Desk
                                                                                            • Dill
                                                                                            • Document Proposal
                                                                                            • Dojo
                                                                                            • Door
                                                                                            • Double-boot
                                                                                            • Dry Gate
                                                                                            • Duct
                                                                                            • Ecliptic
                                                                                            • Entropy
                                                                                            • Event Log
                                                                                            • Eyre
                                                                                            • Face
                                                                                            • Fact
                                                                                            • Foo Bar Baz
                                                                                            • Galaxy
                                                                                            • Gall
                                                                                            • Garden
                                                                                            • Gate
                                                                                            • Generator
                                                                                            • Gift
                                                                                            • Glob
                                                                                            • HD Wallet
                                                                                            • Helm
                                                                                            • Hood
                                                                                            • Hoon
                                                                                            • Invite Tree
                                                                                            • Iris
                                                                                            • Jael
                                                                                            • Jet
                                                                                            • Kelvin versioning
                                                                                            • Kelvin versioning
                                                                                            • Keyfile
                                                                                            • Keywords
                                                                                            • Khan
                                                                                            • Kiln
                                                                                            • Landscape
                                                                                            • Leg
                                                                                            • List
                                                                                            • Loobean
                                                                                            • Lull
                                                                                            • Mark
                                                                                            • Metals
                                                                                            • Mold
                                                                                            • Monad
                                                                                            • Moon
                                                                                            • Move
                                                                                            • Nock
                                                                                            • Noun
                                                                                            • ~
                                                                                            • OTA Updates
                                                                                            • Path Prefix
                                                                                            • Path
                                                                                            • @p
                                                                                            • Payload
                                                                                            • Peek
                                                                                            • pH
                                                                                            • Pier
                                                                                            • Pill
                                                                                            • Planet
                                                                                            • Poke
                                                                                            • Proxies
                                                                                            • Replay
                                                                                            • Factory Reset
                                                                                            • Roller
                                                                                            • Naive rollups
                                                                                            • Rune
                                                                                            • Runtime
                                                                                            • Sail
                                                                                            • Sample
                                                                                            • Scry
                                                                                            • Senate
                                                                                            • Ship
                                                                                            • Slam
                                                                                            • Spider
                                                                                            • Sponsor
                                                                                            • Star
                                                                                            • String
                                                                                            • Subject Oriented Programming
                                                                                            • Subject
                                                                                            • Subscription
                                                                                            • Tape
                                                                                            • Thread
                                                                                            • Trap
                                                                                            • Udon
                                                                                            • Upgrade Proposal
                                                                                            • Userspace
                                                                                            • Vane
                                                                                            • Vase
                                                                                            • Vere
                                                                                            • Voting
                                                                                            • Warm atom
                                                                                            • Wet Gate
                                                                                            • Wing
                                                                                            • Wire
                                                                                            • Wrapper
                                                                                            • ~zod
                                                                                            • Zuse
                                                                                            • Additional

                                                                                              • Cryptography
                                                                                              • Mips (Maps of Maps)
                                                                                              • Software Distribution

                                                                                                • Overview
                                                                                                • Docket File
                                                                                                • Glob
                                                                                              Reference

                                                                                              Nock

                                                                                              Last major revision of this tutorial: 2016. Minor revisions were made in October 2018 to bring it in line with the new Nock 4K spec.

                                                                                              Nock is the low-level functional programming language that is interpreted by Vere. You don't need to know Nock to write Hoon, or even to work on most parts of Vere. But if you want to understand the foundations of Urbit and are mathematically-inclined, dive right in.

                                                                                              Nock Definition

                                                                                              The Nock specification.

                                                                                              An explanation of Nock

                                                                                              A comprehensive walkthrough of the Nock spec.

                                                                                              Nock by hand

                                                                                              Learn Nock by example.

                                                                                              Nock Implementations

                                                                                              The many ways that Nock has been implemented.

                                                                                              Edit this page on GitHub

                                                                                              Last modified March 29, 2023