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FAQ ​

What is aoughwl? ​

A software stack written from scratch in one language, Nimony. It has four parts:

  • a compiler toolchain for Nimony itself (parser, type checker, lowering, and backends for C, JavaScript, TypeScript and Python);
  • a runtime, engine, that runs JavaScript and Nimony in one process on one heap;
  • a browser engine, Titicaca;
  • a game platform, Jester, where the whole game is mods that can be edited while it runs.

Nimony is the compiler being built as the next generation of Nim: Python-like syntax, static types, compiled to native code through C. Its compiler passes talk to each other through NIF, a plain-text tree format. aoughwl's toolchain reads and writes the same files byte for byte (we call the format AIF), so our passes and Nimony's can be mixed in one build.

Why rewrite a compiler that already exists? ​

To own every layer the rest of the stack runs on. The interpreter, the JavaScript engine and Jester's live code reloading all need things a stock compiler does not offer: stopping after any pass, running the typed program directly, moving code between interpreted and native while it runs. Writing each pass ourselves, and diffing it against Nimony's, means we can add those without forking someone else's design.

Can I use it today? ​

Yes, two ways:

  • In the browser, with nothing to install: the playground parses, type-checks and runs your code in the tab.
  • On Linux: Get started in 5 minutes takes a clean machine to a running native binary in about three minutes.

The libraries (net stack, css, regex, unicode, jit) are usable on their own from any Nimony project. engine, Jester and Titicaca are not released yet.

What is free and what is paid? ​

Free, MIT-licensed and on GitHub: the parser, the lowering pass, the C backend, the driver (aowlmony), the toolchain manager (aowlup), and libraries such as regex, unicode and jit.

Paid, as one $9.99/month subscription: the interpreter and its debugger, and the TypeScript, Python and JavaScript/WebAssembly backends. Jester will be $19.99/month. See the store.

Some source is private with public documentation, including the type checker (aowlsem), the JavaScript engine and engine.

How are the numbers on this site measured? ​

Each stage that replaces an existing tool is run on the same input as that tool, and the output files are compared byte for byte. A stage passes a case only when the diff is empty. Conformance numbers for the JavaScript engine and the browser come from the standard suites: test262 and the Web Platform Tests. Every figure has a date, and the parity page lists the failures next to the passes.

If a number on this site is wrong or out of date, say so on Discord; it is the most useful report you can send.

Which platforms are supported? ​

The toolchain installs on Linux x86-64 with glibc 2.34 or newer. On Windows, use WSL. On macOS, use the playground for now. Jester's player runs on Windows.

What happened to aowli? ​

aowli was the interpreter. It is archived, and its two execution engines (a tree-walker and a bytecode VM) continue inside engine, where they share a heap and a garbage collector with the JavaScript engine. The old aowli pages are kept as a record.

Who makes this, and how do I get in touch? ​

aoughwl is a small independent project. Ask anything on Discord (timbuktu_guy), or open an issue on the relevant GitHub repository.