Welcome to Raven

Raven is a modern programming language built with Rust, combining the best features of Rust, Python, C++, Java, and Go. It's designed to be fast, safe, expressive, and simple—without compromising power or performance.

🚀 Why Raven?

• 🔥 Fast like C++ - Built with Rust for maximum performance
• 🛡️ Memory-safe like Rust - No garbage collection overhead
• 🧠 Readable like Python - Clean, intuitive syntax
• 🧱 Scalable like Java - Robust type system
• 🎯 Simple like Go - Easy to learn and use

✨ Key Features

Professional CLI Interface

# Execute files (Python-style)
raven hello.rv

# Interactive REPL
raven

# Type-check only (parse + types; no run)
raven hello.rv -c

# Optional: project helper (init, run, fmt)
rvpm init my_app && cd my_app && rvpm run
rvpm fmt

Modern Language Features

• Static Typing - Type safety without complexity
• Structs & Enums - User-defined data structures
• Struct Methods - OOP-style methods via impl blocks
• Modules - Import/export system
• Standard Library - Comprehensive built-in functions
• VS Code Support - Full syntax highlighting and IntelliSense

Rich Type System

// Basic types
let name: string = "Raven";
let version: int = 1;
let isActive: bool = true;

// Arrays
let numbers: int[] = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];

// Structs
struct Person {
    name: string,
    age: int,
    isActive: bool
}

// Enums
enum HttpStatus {
    OK,
    NotFound,
    InternalError
}

📦 Installation

Windows Installer

Download the latest MSI from GitHub Releases.

VS Code Extension

Install the Raven language extension from the VS Code Marketplace.

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/martian56/raven.git
cd raven
cargo build --release

🎯 Quick Start

1. Install Raven using the Windows installer
2. Create a file hello.rv:

   fun main() -> void {
       print("Hello, Raven!");
   }
   
   main();

3. Run it: raven hello.rv
4. Try the REPL: raven

📚 Documentation

• Language Reference - Complete syntax guide
• Standard Library - Built-in functions and modules
• rvpm and formatting - rv.toml, rvpm fmt, [fmt]
• Examples - Sample programs and tutorials
• VS Code Extension - Development environment setup

🤝 Community

• GitHub: martian56/raven
• Issues: Report bugs and request features
• Discussions: Ask questions and share ideas

🚀 What's Next?

The current toolchain includes the interpreter, type checker, rvpm scaffolding (init, run, fmt), and optional [fmt] settings in rv.toml. Planned work includes: - Bytecode VM or compiled backend - Advanced type system (generics, traits) - Concurrency (async/await) - Full rvpm package install / registry - Language server protocol (LSP)

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Ready to start coding with Raven? Check out our Getting Started Guide!