Dab programming language

Dab is an experimental, highly optimised dynamic language.

The long-term Dab 1.0 design vision is a coherent, productivity-first language that can span low-level systems work and higher-level applications, while keeping language semantics, tooling, and runtime boundaries explicit.

Current 0.0.x prototype

The current prototype is not that design vision. It currently contains a Ruby compiler and assembler, a C++ virtual machine, and the implementation and test surfaces in this repository. The prototype accepts trusted local source and artifacts only; it is not a sandbox or a safe host for untrusted bytecode.

The repository's source and tests are the only evidence for implemented behavior. This README describes intent and must not be read as implementation proof.

Planned Dab 0.1

Dab 0.1 is a planned, executable acceptance target, not a shipped language claim. Its finish line is the provisional wordfreq program compiling without source changes and passing its complete acceptance contract. The existing compiler, assembler, bytecode format, VM, and tests remain the starting point; .dabm will introduce the modern Ruby-esque syntax while .dab temporarily retains the legacy syntax. Both feed the same semantic and runtime pipeline.

The target program exercises command-line arguments and streams, files, strict UTF-8, Unicode word boundaries, collections, sorting, errors, resource cleanup, and process status. The Dab 0.1 acceptance contract and provisional wordfreq program contain the complete public specification.

Dab 1.0 design vision

The long-term design has a Ruby-esque default syntax and a small set of explicit semantic foundations:

• everything is an object;
• unannotated values remain dynamic, while optional static types can narrow the available operations and catch errors earlier;
• let and var control binding reassignment independently from mutable and read-only object access;
• classes use nominal subtyping with one superclass and protocols;
• immutable classes make mutable and read-only references equivalent;
• Rings construct one closed VM image before application execution begins;
• unsafe capabilities such as native FFI remain explicit.

These are design decisions to implement and verify incrementally; they do not describe the current prototype as complete.

Explore

• Public site
• Building the current prototype
• Unsafe trusted-local FFI capability
• Dab 0.1 acceptance contract
• Provisional wordfreq reference program

MIT license.