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Installation

The easiest way to install Raven on Windows is using our professional MSI installer.

Download and Install

  1. Download: Open GitHub Releases and get the latest Windows MSI for your architecture.
  2. Run the downloaded .msi installer.
  3. Verify: Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run raven --version (and rvpm --version if you use project commands).

What's Included

The installer includes: - ✅ Raven executable (raven.exe) and rvpm (rvpm.exe, project helper) - ✅ Complete standard library - ✅ Example programs - ✅ Documentation - ✅ Automatic PATH integration

Build from Source

If you prefer to build from source or you're on a different platform:

Prerequisites

  • Rust: Install from rustup.rs
  • Git: For cloning the repository

Build Steps

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/martian56/raven.git
cd raven

# Build in release mode
cargo build --release

# The binary will be at target/release/raven.exe (Windows)
# or target/release/raven (Linux/macOS)

Add to PATH (Manual)

If you built from source, add Raven to your PATH:

Windows: 

# Add to PATH environment variable
setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\path\to\raven\target\release"

Linux/macOS: 

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
export PATH="$PATH:/path/to/raven/target/release"

VS Code Extension

For the best development experience, install the Raven VS Code extension:

Installation

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
  3. Search: "Raven Language"
  4. Install: Click Install

Alternative Installation

# Using VS Code command line
code --install-extension martian56.raven-language

Features

The extension provides: - ✅ Syntax highlighting for .rv files - ✅ Code snippets and IntelliSense - ✅ Hover documentation - ✅ Auto-completion - ✅ Run commands

Verification

After installation, verify everything works:

# Check version
raven --version

# Run a simple program
echo 'print("Hello, Raven!");' > test.rv
raven test.rv

# Start REPL
raven

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"raven is not recognized" - Make sure Raven is in your PATH - Restart your terminal/command prompt - On Windows, reinstall the MSI

"Permission denied" - On Linux/macOS, you may need chmod +x raven - Make sure the file is executable

VS Code Extension not working - Reload VS Code after installation - Check that .rv files show "Raven" in the bottom-right corner - Try opening a .rv file to activate the extension

Getting Help

If you encounter issues: - Check the GitHub Issues - Create a new issue with details - Join our discussions for community help

Next: Quick Start Guide - Your first Raven program