# programming-nu/nu

Nu is an interpreted Lisp that builds on the Objective-C runtime and Foundation framework.

Repository: https://github.com/programming-nu/nu
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nu
Homepage: http://programming-nu.github.io
Language: Objective-C
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2023-07-11T17:10:27+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 23/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 6755, "days_push": 1149, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2188, forks 231 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:23.871380+00:00)

## What it is
Nu is an interpreted object-oriented Lisp dialect implemented in Objective-C that runs on the Objective-C runtime and Foundation framework. It offers Ruby-like semantics with Lisp syntax and seamless interoperability with Objective-C and C code, including a Nu shell (nush).

## Use cases
- script macOS and iOS frameworks with a Lisp language
- call C and Objective-C libraries without writing glue code
- embed a dynamic scripting language in an Objective-C application
- generate HTML and XML markup from Lisp code
- use a Lisp-based shell for scripting on Mac or Linux

## When to choose
- you develop on macOS/iOS and want Lisp syntax with native Objective-C interop
- you need a scriptable bridge to C libraries with minimal glue
- you prefer Ruby-like object semantics in a Lisp

## When to avoid
- you need a mainstream, actively evolving language with a large ecosystem
- you target Windows or platforms without the Objective-C runtime
- you need high performance compiled code

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: maintenance
- function: interpreter, programming-language, cli, templating
- domain: programming-languages, developer-tools, apple-ecosystem
- platform: cpp, cli
- tags: lisp, objective-c-runtime, scripting-language, nush, c-over-lambda, command-line, macos, linux, ios

## Member repositories
- programming-nu/nu (main) score 23

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:23.871380+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 2026-08-30T02:47:51.752024+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/programming-nu/nu (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:23.871380+00:00, sha 5bc66fde7fd2)
  - homepage: http://programming-nu.github.io (fetched 2026-08-29T10:28:02.389330+00:00, sha 697296ecc8d4)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.