Aura

A small, fast, statically typed programming language with clean syntax and a Windows-first toolchain.

Repository: github.com/auralanguage/aura-lang

What Aura Is Trying To Be

Aura is being built around a simple goal:

• less complex than C++
• easier to approach than Rust
• faster and more structured than Python for compiled CLI workflows
• clean syntax
• fast feedback loop

Today the project already includes:

• a lexer, parser, AST, type checker, and interpreter
• imports and module-qualified symbols
• structs, methods, arrays, ranges, slices, and string helpers
• a typed IR plus CFG/SSA lowering and verification
• an optimizer pass for safe constant and collection folding
• a default embedded build path that produces a standalone .exe without requiring MinGW on the end-user machine
• an optional cpp backend for generated C++ output

Project Status

Aura is currently pre-alpha.

The language core is real and usable for experiments, but the syntax, standard library, packaging model, and backend choices are still moving.

Quick Start

Example Code

fn main() {
    print("Hello, World!");
}

Use A Prebuilt Release On Windows

Download one of these from GitHub Releases:

• aura-windows-x64.zip
• AuraSetup-x64.exe (sorry there is no setup for now)

Then run:

aura.exe run examples/code_syntax.aura

Build a standalone app:

aura.exe build examples/code_syntax.aura

Important:

• the default embedded backend does not require MinGW or MSVC on the user's machine
• aura build --backend cpp is optional and still requires a C++ compiler

Build From Source

.\build.bat
.\build\aura.exe test --manifest tests/test_cases.json --executable build/aura.exe

Documentation

• Language Specification - Formal syntax, type system, and builtin functions
• Architecture Overview - Compiler pipeline, backends, and intermediate representations
• Quick Start - Short build and run commands
• Module System - Import resolution, file-based modules, and project organization
• Contributing - Development setup, coding standards, and contribution guidelines
• VSCode Extension - Syntax highlighting and editor support for Aura

Example Commands

Run a file:

aura.exe run examples/code_syntax.aura

Check a file without running it:

aura.exe check examples/code_syntax.aura

Build a standalone executable:

aura.exe build examples/code_syntax.aura

Build with the optional C++ backend:

aura.exe build examples/code_syntax.aura --backend cpp

Use the release profile from Aura.toml:

aura.exe build --profile release

Repository Layout

• src/ - compiler, runtime, and CLI implementation
• include/ - public headers
• examples/ - small Aura programs
• tests/ - regression suites and fixtures
• scripts/ - helper scripts
• packaging/ - Windows release packaging files

Suggested GitHub Topics

• programming-language
• compiler
• interpreter
• language-design
• cpp
• ssa
• toolchain
• windows

License

Aura is released under the MIT License. See LICENSE.