The Myra Programming Language

Pascal.
Refined.

Native binaries. Zero friction.

Myra is a statically-typed, compiled language in the Pascal/Oberon tradition. It transpiles to C++23 and uses Zig as a build backend — producing real x86-64 executables and libraries for Windows and Linux. The backend is invisible. You write Myra. You get binaries.

↓ Get Myra Language Tour →
hello.myra 
module exe hello;

type
  Color = (Red, Green, Blue);
  Point = record
    x: int32;
    y: int32;
  end;

routine greet(const name: string);
begin
  writeln("Hello, {}! 🌍", name);
end;

var
  p: Point;
  c: Color;

begin
  $ifdef TARGET_WIN64
  greet("Windows");
  $else
  greet("Linux");
  $endif

  p := Point{ x: 42, y: 99 };
  c := Green;
  writeln("({}, {})", p.x, p.y);
end.
Pascal-family syntax Compiles to C++23 Zig build backend Windows & Linux Managed strings Record inheritance Class virtual dispatch FFI / C interop Variadic routines Structured exceptions Pascal-style sets Built-in test blocks WSL2 integration DAP debugger support Pascal-family syntax Compiles to C++23 Zig build backend Windows & Linux Managed strings Record inheritance Class virtual dispatch FFI / C interop Variadic routines Structured exceptions Pascal-style sets Built-in test blocks WSL2 integration DAP debugger support

Core strengths

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

Myra is designed around a principle: the language should get out of your way.

⚡
Native Performance

Compiles to real x86-64 machine code. No VM, no garbage collection pauses, no interpreter. The C++23 backend means you get decades of compiler optimisation work for free.

🔗
First-Class FFI

Call any C library with external declarations and "C" linkage. Full varargs support for printf-style APIs. No wrapper generators, no binding glue.

🧬
Rich Type System

Records with inheritance and bit fields. Classes with virtual dispatch. Unions. Typed sets. Fixed and dynamic arrays. Pointer types. Routine types. All first-class citizens.

📝
Managed Strings

Reference-counted UTF-8 string and UTF-16 wstring. Emoji, CJK, accented characters — all work natively. Freed automatically, no leaks.

🌐
Cross-Platform

Target Windows or Linux from the same source. Conditional compilation with $ifdef TARGET_WIN64 and platform predefined symbols. WSL2 handles Linux testing from Windows.

✅
Built-in Tests

test "name" begin...end blocks live in the same source file as your code. The test runner compiles and executes them, comparing output against EXPECT comments.

Language tour

The language, in code.

Every example below compiles and runs. No hand-waving.

// Overloading — same name, different signatures
routine max(const a: int32; const b: int32): int32;
begin
  if a > b then return a; end;
  return b;
end;

routine max(const a: float64; const b: float64): float64;
begin
  if a > b then return a; end;
  return b;
end;

// var parameter — modified in place
routine swap(var a: int32; var b: int32);
var
  tmp: int32;
begin
  tmp := a;  a := b;  b := tmp;
end;

// Recursion
routine fib(const n: int32): int32;
begin
  if n <= 1 then return n; end;
  return fib(n - 1) + fib(n - 2);
end;
type
  Point = record
    x: int32;
    y: int32;
  end;

  // Record inheritance
  Point3D = record(Point)
    z: int32;
  end;

  // Packed — no padding between fields
  Header = record packed
    magic:   uint32;
    version: uint16;
    flags:   uint8;
  end;

  // Bit fields
  Flags = record
    active: int32 : 1;
    mode:   int32 : 3;
    level:  int32 : 4;
  end;

var
  p: Point3D;

begin
  // Record literal syntax
  p.x := 10;  p.y := 20;  p.z := 30;
  writeln("({}, {}, {})", p.x, p.y, p.z);
end.
type
  TAnimal = class
    Name_: string;

    method Init(AName: string);
    begin
      Self.Name_ := AName;
    end;

    method Speak();
    begin
      writeln("{} says: ...", Self.Name_);
    end;
  end;

  TDog = class(TAnimal)
    // Override — virtual dispatch
    method Speak();
    begin
      writeln("{} says: Woof!", Self.Name_);
    end;
  end;

var
  dog: pointer to TDog;
  base: pointer to TAnimal;

begin
  new(dog);
  dog^.Init("Buddy");

  // Dispatch through base pointer
  base := pointer to TAnimal(dog);
  base^.Speak();  // calls TDog.Speak()
  dispose(dog);
end.
routine zero(): int32;
begin
  return 0;
end;

begin
  // Raise and catch a message exception
  try
    raiseexception("Something went wrong");
  except
    writeln("Caught: {}", getexceptionmessage());
  end;

  // Raise with a numeric code
  try
    raiseexceptioncode(42, "Custom error");
  except
    writeln("Code: {}", getexceptioncode());
  finally
    writeln("Always runs");
  end;

  // Hardware exception (div-by-zero)
  try
    writeln("{}", 10 div zero());
  except
    writeln("HW exception: {}", getexceptionmessage());
  end;
end.
// User-defined variadic routine
routine sumInts(...): int32;
var
  i: int32;
  sum: int32;
  arg: int32;
begin
  sum := 0;
  for i := 0 to varargs.count - 1 do
    arg := varargs.next(int32);
    sum := sum + arg;
  end;
  return sum;
end;

begin
  writeln("sum = {}", sumInts(10, 20, 30));   // 60
  writeln("sum = {}", sumInts(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)); // 15
  writeln("sum = {}", sumInts());             // 0
end.
var
  s1: set;
  s2: set;
  s3: set;

begin
  s1 := {1, 3, 5};     // bit positions 1, 3, 5
  s2 := {3, 5, 10};

  // Set arithmetic
  s3 := s1 + s2;  // union: {1,3,5,10}
  s3 := s1 * s2;  // intersection: {3,5}
  s3 := s1 - s2;  // difference: {1}

  // Membership test
  if 1 in s1 then
    writeln("1 is in s1");
  end;

  // Range literal
  s1 := {1..5};   // bits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
end.
module exe ffi_demo;

$ifdef TARGET_WIN64
// Call Windows API directly
routine "C" MessageBoxA(
  const hwnd:    pointer;
  const text:    pointer to char;
  const caption: pointer to char;
  const utype:   uint32
): int32;
external "user32.dll";
$endif

// Link a third-party library
$linklibrary "mylib.lib"
$librarypath "libs/"

routine "C" compute(const x: float64): float64;
external "mylib.dll" name "compute_v2";

begin
  writeln("result = {}", compute(3.14));
end.

Cross-platform

One source.
Two platforms.

The same Myra source compiles to Windows and Linux. Conditional compilation with predefined symbols handles the differences. WSL2 lets you build and test Linux binaries without leaving Windows.

  • ✓ Identical language semantics across platforms
  • ✓ Platform predefined symbols injected automatically
  • ✓ WSL2 integration for Linux testing from Windows
  • ✓ Zig handles all cross-compilation internals
  • → macOS, ARM64 targets on the roadmap
win64 — Windows x86-64 Supported
linux64 — Linux x86-64 Supported
macos64 — macOS x86-64 Planned
winarm64 — Windows ARM64 Planned
linuxarm64 — Linux ARM64 Planned

Module system

Three kinds.
One language.

Every Myra source file is a module. The kind declaration determines the output artifact.

exe
Executable

A program with a begin..end. entry point. Produces a native executable. The most common module kind — start here for tools, CLIs, and applications.

lib
Static Library

Compiled to a .lib (Windows) or .a (Linux) archive. Use public to export symbols. Importable with the import statement.

dll
Shared Library

Compiled to a .dll or .so shared object. Export C-compatible APIs with public routine "C". Ideal for plugin systems and FFI targets.

"The best tool is the one that disappears."

— The Myra design principle

↓ Get Started on GitHub Join the Discord →