Flux

A general purpose, statically typed, broadly mid-level, object-oriented compiled programming language for easy control over data.

<p align="center"> <img src="https://github.com/kvthweatt/FluxLang/blob/main/resources/logo_cropped.jpg" width="300" height="150"> </p>

What is Flux?

Flux is a new language that combines the performance and power of C with the readability of Python. It is neither C or Python, nor a true C derivative. It's for everyone, designed for first-class data manipulation, and a growing standard library.

Characteristics:

• Manual memory management
• Compiler that does not fight you
• First class data control features
• Consistent grammar and syntax constructs throughout
• Rich operator set with distinct bitwise set
• Everything stack allocated unless otherwise specified
• Everything is zero initialized unless otherwise specified
• Custom infix operator support
• Templates without SFINAE
• Opt-in ownership without a borrow checker

Design Philosophy

Flux follows a "high-trust" model:

• The language provides powerful tools
• The programmer is responsible for using them correctly
• Explicit is better than implicit
• Performance and control over safety guarantees

This means:

• Manual memory management (no garbage collection)
• No borrow checker (you manage lifetimes)
• Direct hardware access when needed
• Full compile-time programming capabilities* (coming soon)

Ideal Use Cases

Flux is well-suited for:

• Embedded systems - Direct hardware register access
• Network protocols - Zero-copy packet parsing
• File format handling - Binary data interpretation
• Game engines - Memory-efficient entity systems
• Device drivers - Memory-mapped I/O
• Performance-critical code - When you need C-level control

Current Status

Flux is in active development. The language specification is complete, but implementation is ongoing.
The standard library is the current focus.

What exists:

• Complete language specification
• Keyword Reference
• A Flux style guide
• Tutorials for beginner and adept programmers
• Clear syntax and semantics

What's being built:

• Compiler Implementation ✅
• Standard library (In-progress)
• Build tooling
• IDE (In-progress)
• Package manager (In-progress)
• LSP (In-progress)

Getting Involved

• Discord: Join the Flux community
• Contribute: The project welcomes contributors
• Feedback: Share your thoughts on language design

Learning Resources

• Language Specification - Complete language reference
• Getting Started Guide - Tutorial for new users
• Examples - Real-world Flux programs
• Windows Setup Guide
• Linux Setup Guide

Star History

Example: Complete Program

#import "standard.fx";

struct Packet
{
    unsigned data{8} type;
    unsigned data{16} length;
    unsigned data{32} timestamp;
};

def main() -> int
{
    byte[7] bytes = [0x01, 0x00, 0x20, 0x5F, 0x12, 0x34, 0x56];
    Packet pkt = Packet from bytes;
    
    print("Type: \0");
    print(pkt.type); print();
    print("Length: \0");
    print(pkt.length); print();
    print("Time: \0");
    print(pkt.timestamp); print();
    
    return 0;
};

Note: Flux is a systems programming language that assumes you understand memory management and low-level programming concepts. If you're new to systems programming, work through the tutorial documentation carefully.

🤝 Contributing

Flux is actively developed and approaching self-hosting.

Current Status: Working compiler, real programs running.
There are still some small compiler issues here and there.

⚖️ License

Copyright (C) 2024 Karac Von Thweatt. All rights reserved.