A compiled language where simplicity meets flexibility.
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Readable syntax —
for_each,as_long_as(alias iswhile),if/or/otherwise(alias iselse),when/is,in/not_in(alias is!in),or_return,ensure,bit_and/bit_or/bit_xor, etc. -
Versatility through simplicity — Scripts, microservices, CLI tools, or projects where you want to learn systems programming fundamentals
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A compiler that works for the programmer — Clear error messages, a built-in formatter, live reloading, and built-in language and stdlib docs via
gray man. When questions arise, Grayscale provides the answers. -
Safe by default — Automatic Scope-Based Arena Management for memory, bounds-checked arrays, strings, and maps, overflow-checked arithmetic, division-by-zero protection, nil pointer checks, stack depth guards, no implicit narrowing, NO pointer arithmetic. The guardrails are on unless you explicitly take them off with the
@memor@threadsstdlib modules
@arrays · @strings · @maps · @math · @time · @random · @json · @io · @os
@http · @server · @crypto · @encoding · @uuid · @bytes · @binary · @sqlite
@regex · @csv · @net · @threads · @sync · @channels · @mem · @atomic · @fmt · @strconv
Download the latest release for your platform from the Releases page. No dependencies required.
Requires Go 1.23+ and a C compiler (gcc or clang).
git clone https://github.com/grayscale-lang/grayscale.git
cd grayscale
make build
make installNote: Grayscale currently supports macOS and Linux only.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
gray <file> |
Compile and run | gray main.gray |
gray build <file> -o <name> |
Compile to a distributable binary | gray build main.gray -o myapp |
gray build <file> --emit-c |
Emit generated C source to a file (no binary) | gray build main.gray --emit-c |
gray check <file> |
Type check without compiling | gray check main.gray |
gray watch <file> |
Watch for changes, re-run on save | gray watch main.gray |
gray fmt <path> |
Format .gray source files in place |
gray fmt . or gray fmt ./... |
gray fmt --check <path> |
Check formatting without modifying files (CI gate) | gray fmt --check ./... |
gray doc <file> |
Generate docs from #doc attributes |
gray doc main.gray |
gray new <name> |
Scaffold a new project | gray new myproject |
gray report |
Print system info for bug reports | gray report |
gray update |
Update to the latest stable version | gray update |
gray update --pre |
Update to the latest pre-release (alpha/beta) | gray update --pre |
gray install <version> |
Install a specific version by semver | gray install x.y.z |
gray version |
Show version info | gray version |
gray man |
Show help for the man command | gray man |
gray man <module> |
Show info about a stdlib module | gray man strings |
gray man <function> |
Show info about a stdlib function | gray man to_upper |
gray man <struct> |
Show info about a stdlib struct type | gray man HttpRequest |
gray update # latest stable
gray update --pre # latest pre-release Note: The latest pre-release may be very out of date
gray install x.y.z # pin to an exact versiongray update checks for new versions, shows the changelog, and upgrades both the gray CLI and the compiler. Pass --pre to pick up the latest alpha, beta, or rc. Use gray install <version> to install an exact version by semver — downgrades and pre-release tags (e.g. 0.2.0-beta.1) are supported.
Grayscale was previously known as EZ. The ez update command from older EZ versions cannot upgrade to Grayscale automatically. To migrate, uninstall EZ and do a fresh install of Grayscale using the instructions in the Install section above.
Grayscale is in active development. The language is usable for personal projects and dev tools. Breaking changes may occur frequently.
MIT License - Copyright (c) 2025-Present Marshall A Burns
See LICENSE for details.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to Grayscale!
