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Red is a programming language strongly inspired byRebol, but with a broader field of usage thanks to its native-code compiler, from system programming to high-level scripting, while providing modern support for concurrency and multi-core CPUs.

Red tackles the software building complexity using a DSL-oriented approach (we call themdialects) . The following dialects are built-in:

• Red/System: a C-level system programming language compiled to native code
• Parse: a powerful PEG parser
• VID: a simple GUI layout creation dialect
• Draw: a vector 2D drawing dialect
• Rich-text: a rich-text description dialect

Red has its own complete cross-platform toolchain, featuring an encapper, a native compiler, an interpreter, and a linker, not depending on any third-party library, except for a Rebol2 interpreter, required during the alpha stage. Once 1.0 is reached, Red will beself-hosted. Currently, Red is still at alpha stage and 32-bit only.

Red's main features are:

• Human-friendlysyntax
• Homoiconic (Red is its own meta-language and owndata-format)
• Functional, imperative,reactive and symbolic programming
• Prototype-based object support
• Multi-typing
• Powerful pattern-matchingMacros system
• Rich set of built-in datatypes (50+)
• Both statically and JIT-compiled(*) to native code
• Cross-compilationdoneright
• Produces executables of less than 1MB, with no dependencies
• Concurrency and parallelism strong support (actors, parallel collections)(*)
• Low-level system programming abilities through the built-in Red/SystemDSL
• PowerfulPEG parser DSL built-in
• Fast and compacting Garbage Collector
• Instrumentation built-in for the interpreter,lexer and parser.
• Cross-platform nativeGUI system, with aUI layout DSL and adrawing DSL
• Bridgingto the JVM
• High-level scripting andREPL GUI and CLI consoles included
• Visual Studio Codeplugin, with many helpful features
• Highlyembeddable
• Low memory footprint
• Single-file (~1MB) contains whole toolchain, full standard library and REPL (**)
• No install, no setup
• Fun guaranteed!

(*) Not implemented yet.(**) Temporarily split in two binaries

More information atred-lang.org.

Download a GUI or CLI console binary suitable for your operating system, rename it at your convenience, then run it from shell or by double-clicking on it (Windows). You should see the following output:

    ---== Red 0.6.5 ==--    Type HELP for starting information.    >>

A simple Hello World would look like:

    >> print "Hello World!"    Hello World!

If you are on the GUI console, a GUI Hello World (prompt omitted):

    view [text "Hello World!"]

A moresophisticated example that retrieves the last commits from this repo and displays their log messages in a scrollable list:

    view [        text-list data collect [            foreach event load https://api.github.com/repos/red/red/commits [                keep event/commit/message            ]        ]    ]

Note: check also the followingimproved version allowing you to click on a given commit log and open the commit page on github.

You can now head to see and try some showcasing scriptshere andthere. You can run those examples from the console directly using Github's "raw" link. E.g.:

    >> do https://raw.githubusercontent.com/red/code/master/Showcase/calculator.red

Note: If you are using the Wine emulator, it has someissues with the GUI-Console. Install theConsolas font to fix the problem.

The Red toolchain comes as a single executable file that you candownload for the big-3 platforms (32-bit only for now). Rename the file toredc (orredc.exe under Windows).

1. Put the downloadedredc binary in the working folder.

2. In a code or text editor, write the following Hello World program:

    Red [     Title: "Simple hello world script" ] print "Hello World!"

3. Save it under the name:hello.red

4. Generate a compiled executable from that program: (first run will pre-compile libRedRT library)

    $ redc -c hello.red $ ./hello

5. Want to generate a compiled executable from that program with no dependencies?

    $ redc -r hello.red $ ./hello

6. Want to cross-compile to another supported platform?

    $ redc -t Windows hello.red $ redc -t Darwin hello.red $ redc -t Linux-ARM hello.red

The full command-line syntax is:

redc [command] [options] [file]

[file] any Red or Red/System source file.

• The -c, -r and -u options are mutually exclusive.

[options]

-c, --compile                  : Generate an executable in the working                                 folder, using libRedRT. (development mode)-d, --debug, --debug-stabs     : Compile source file in debug mode. STABS                                 is supported for Linux targets.-dlib, --dynamic-lib           : Generate a shared library from the source                                 file.-e, --encap                    : Compile in encap mode, so code is interpreted                                 at runtime. Avoids compiler issues. Required                                 for some dynamic code.-h, --help                     : Output this help text.-o <file>, --output <file>     : Specify a non-default [path/][name] for                                 the generated binary file.-r, --release                  : Compile in release mode, linking everything                                 together (default: development mode).-s, --show-expanded            : Output result of Red source code expansion by                                 the preprocessor.-t <ID>, --target <ID>         : Cross-compile to a different platform                                 target than the current one (see targets                                 table below).-u, --update-libRedRT          : Rebuild libRedRT and compile the input script                                  (only for Red scripts with R/S code).-v <level>, --verbose <level>  : Set compilation verbosity level, 1-3 for                                 Red, 4-11 for Red/System.-V, --version                  : Output Red's executable version in x.y.z                                 format.--config [...]                 : Provides compilation settings as a block                                 of `name: value` pairs.--no-compress                  : Omit Redbin format compression.--no-runtime                   : Do not include runtime during Red/System                                 source compilation.--no-view                      : Do not include VIEW module in the CLI console                                 and the libRedRT.--view <engine>                : Select the VIEW engine (native, terminal, GTK, test)--red-only                     : Stop just after Red-level compilation.                                 Use higher verbose level to see compiler                                 output. (internal debugging purpose)--show-func-map                : Output an address/name map of Red/System                                 functions, for debugging purposes.

[command]

build libRed [stdcall]         : Builds libRed library and unpacks the                                 libRed/ folder locally.clear [<path>]                 : Delete all temporary files from current                                 or target <path> folder.

Cross-compilation targets:

MSDOS        : Windows, x86, console (+ GUI) applicationsWindows      : Windows, x86, GUI applicationsWindowsXP    : Windows, x86, GUI applications, no touch APILinux        : GNU/Linux, x86, console (+ GUI) applicationsLinux-GTK    : GNU/Linux, x86, GUI only applicationsLinux-musl   : GNU/Linux, x86, musl libcLinux-ARM    : GNU/Linux, ARMv5, armel (soft-float)RPi          : GNU/Linux, ARMv7, armhf (hard-float)RPi-GTK      : GNU/Linux, ARMv7, armhf (hard-float), GUI only applicationsPico         : GNU/Linux, ARMv7, armhf (hard-float), uClibcDarwin       : macOS Intel, console-only applicationsmacOS        : macOS Intel, applications bundlesSyllable     : Syllable OS, x86FreeBSD      : FreeBSD, x86NetBSD       : NetBSD, x86Android      : Android, ARMv5Android-x86  : Android, x86

Note: The toolchain executable (redc.exe) relies on Rebol encapper which does not support being run from a location specified inPATH environment variable and you getPROGRAM ERROR: Invalid encapsulated data error. If you are on Windows try using PowerShell instead of CMD. You can also provide the full path to the executable, put a copy of it in your working folder or wrap a shell script (see relevant tickets:#543 and#1547).

The compiler and linker are currently written in Rebol. Please follow the instructions for installing the compiler toolchain in order to run it from sources:

1. Clone this git repository or download an archive (ZIP button above or fromtagged packages).

2. Download a Rebol interpreter suitable for your OS:Windows,Linux (orLinux),Mac OS X,FreeBSD,OpenBSD,Solaris.

3. Extract therebol binary, put it in the root folder, that's all!

4. Let's test it: run./rebol, you'll see a>> prompt appear. Windows users need to double-click on therebol.exe file to run it.

5. From the REBOL console type:

    >> do/args %red.r "%tests/hello.red"

The compilation process should finish with a...output file size message. The resulting binary is in the working folder. Windows users need to open a DOS console and runhello.exe from there.

You can compile the Red console from source:

    >> do/args %red.r "-r %environment/console/CLI/console.red"

To compile the Windows GUI console from source:

    >> do/args %red.r "-r -t Windows %environment/console/GUI/gui-console.red"

Note: the-c argument is not necessary when launching the Red toolchain from sources, as the default action is to compile the input script (the toolchain in binary form default action is to run the input script through the interpreter).The-r argument is needed when compiling the Red console to make additional runtime functions available.

Note: The red git repository does not include a.gitignore file. If you run the automated tests, several files will be created that are not stored in the repository. Installing and renaming a copy of.git/.gitignore-sample file will ignore these generated files.

If you want to contribute code to the Red project be sure to read theguidelines first.

It is usually a good idea to inform the Red team about what changes you are going to make in order to ensure that someone is not already working on the same thing. You can reach us through ourchat room.

Satisfied with the results of your change and want to issue a pull request on Github?

Make sure the changes pass all the existing tests, add relevant tests to the test-suite, and please test on as many platforms as you can. You can run all the tests using (from Rebol console, at repository root):

    >> do %run-all-tests.r

If you want git version included in your Red console built from sources, use this command:

call/show"";-- patch call bug on Windowssave%build/git.r do%build/git-version.r;-- lookup git version if availabledo/args%red.r"-r %environment/console/CLI/console.red";-- build Consolewrite%build/git.r"none^/";-- restore git repo status

Some anti-virus programs are a bit too sensitive and can wrongly report an alert on some binaries generated by Red (seehere for the details). If that happens to you, please report it to your anti-virus vendor as a false positive.

One known way to reduce the false flagging from anti-viruses is to use the--no-compress option when compiling Red binaries. That will prevent the internal Rebin data to be compressed using our CRUSH compressor, reducing that file section entropy.

Both Red and Red/System are published underBSD license, runtime is underBSL license. BSL is a bit more permissive license than BSD, more suitable for the runtime parts.