What is Vix

Vix is a lightweight, statically typed compiled programming language. It combines C-like performance, Rust-inspired memory safety, and modern syntax expressiveness.

Design Goals

• Performance first: LLVM-based AOT compilation, native machine code
• Memory safety: v0.3.0 introduces a lightweight Owner system with compile-time ownership checking
• Simple syntax: No semicolons, minimal keywords (let, fn, match, etc.)
• Self-hosting: Bootstrapping compiler (vixc0) written in Vix

Core Features

• Static typing with Hindley-Milner type inference
• LLVM backend (x86_64, AArch64, ARM, RISC-V, WebAssembly)
• Algebraic data types: Option, Result, custom enums
• Generics with type parameterization
• Ownership system: borrow checking, move semantics, copy inference
• Tuples, strings, dynamic arrays
• No garbage collection
• extern "C" FFI
• Cross-platform: Windows / Linux / macOS

Example

fn fib(n: i32): i64
{
    let mut a = 0
    let mut b = 1
    for (i in 1 .. n)
    {
        let c = a + b
        a = b
        b = c
    }
    return b
}

fn main(): i32
{
    print(fib(40))
    return 0
}

Version History

Version	Date	Milestone
v0.3.0	2026-06-07	Ownership system, ref/mut ref
v0.2.0 - v0.2.10	2026-05	Type hardening, ADT fixes, syntax enhancements
v0.1.0 - v0.1.2	2026-05	Initial design, power operator, string matching

Bootstrapping (vixc0)

Vix is bootstrapping itself. vixc0 is a Vix compiler frontend written in Vix, supporting --lex, --parser, --ast debug modes and QBE text output.

Ecosystem

Project	Description	Status
vixc compiler	Core compiler (LLVM backend)	Active
vixc0	Vix self-hosted compiler	Prototype
xpm	Vix package manager	Community
VS Code extension	Syntax highlighting and analysis	Released