# shinh/elvm

EsoLangVM Compiler Infrastructure

Repository: https://github.com/shinh/elvm
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/elvm
Language: C
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-06-23T14:00:01+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 72/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 89, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3638, "days_push": 71, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1263, forks 152 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:10.378397+00:00)

## What it is
ELVM is a compiler infrastructure similar to LLVM but targeting esoteric languages, compiling C code (via a modified 8cc frontend) into a simple intermediate representation (EIR). It ships with 60+ backends that translate EIR into esoteric languages like Brainfuck, Befunge, Piet, and even Conway's Game of Life, as well as mainstream languages.

## Use cases
- compile C programs to Brainfuck or other esoteric languages
- write a new backend targeting an esoteric language
- study compiler design with a simple IR
- run Tetris in Piet or Excel
- translate C to unusual targets like TeX or CMake

## When to choose
- you want to compile C into esoteric or exotic target languages
- you need a simple, hackable compiler IR for experimentation
- you're exploring esoteric programming languages seriously

## When to avoid
- you need production-grade optimization like LLVM provides
- you want a general-purpose compiler for real-world software
- you need fast compilation or performance-tuned output

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: compiler, interpreter, parser
- domain: compilers, programming-languages, developer-tools
- platform: cross-platform, c, cli
- tags: esolang, compiler-infrastructure, intermediate-representation, c-to-esolang, llvm-inspired, esoteric-languages

## Member repositories
- shinh/elvm (main) score 72

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:10.378397+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T05:04:10.602371+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/shinh/elvm (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:10.378397+00:00, sha 089ce68dfa68)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.