# red/red

Red is a next-generation programming language strongly inspired by Rebol, but with a broader field of usage thanks to its native-code compiler, from system programming to high-level scripting and cross-platform reactive GUI, while providing modern support for concurrency, all in a zero-install, zero-config, single ~1MB file!

Repository: https://github.com/red/red
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/red
Homepage: http://red-lang.org
Language: Red
License: BSL-1.0
License Family: other
Topics: compiler, native, gui, reactive-programming, programming-language, red, rebol, interpreter, language, toolchain, repl, cross-platform, scripting-language
Last push: 2026-08-18T21:17:40+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 67/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5658, "days_push": 15, "days_rel": 532, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 6032, forks 415 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:34.444089+00:00)

## What it is
Red is a next-generation programming language inspired by Rebol, shipping as a single ~1MB zero-install executable containing a full toolchain (compiler, interpreter, linker, encapper) and standard library. It spans from low-level system programming via its Red/System DSL to high-level scripting and cross-platform reactive GUIs, with built-in PEG parsing and dialect-oriented design.

## Use cases
- write cross-platform native GUI apps with a simple layout DSL
- system programming with a C-level DSL compiled to native code
- build small dependency-free executables under 1MB
- scripting and rapid prototyping in a REPL
- parse text with a built-in PEG parser dialect
- cross-compile binaries for other platforms from any host
- learn a homoiconic Rebol-style language

## When to choose
- you want a zero-config, single-file language toolchain
- you need both low-level system access and high-level scripting in one language
- you want quick reactive GUI development with minimal code
- you value tiny, dependency-free native executables and cross-compilation

## When to avoid
- you need a production-stable language - Red is still alpha stage
- you require 64-bit support - Red is currently 32-bit only
- you need a large ecosystem of third-party libraries and tooling
- your team needs mainstream language support and hiring pool

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: experimental
- function: programming-language, compiler, interpreter, gui, parser, cli, concurrency, developer-tools
- domain: programming-languages, compilers, cross-platform, developer-tools, desktop-applications
- platform: windows, cross-platform, cli, cpp
- tags: rebol-inspired, homoiconic, dsl, red-system, reactive-programming, native-code, zero-install, single-binary, peg-parser, vid-gui, cross-compilation, toolchain, repl, alpha-stage, linux, macos, arm

## Member repositories
- red/red (main) score 67

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:34.444089+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 2026-08-29T17:49:12.591219+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/red/red (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:34.444089+00:00, sha 5cb99fbff95a)
  - homepage: http://red-lang.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:45:31.404774+00:00, sha 1ea76732b386)
  - site_page: http://www.red-lang.org/p/about.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:45:31.415691+00:00, sha a43e8645b24a)
  - site_page: http://www.red-lang.org/p/getting-started.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:45:31.417747+00:00, sha b3333043ced7)
  - site_page: http://www.red-lang.org/p/documentation.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:45:31.419704+00:00, sha 172f42d0029f)
  - site_page: https://www.red-lang.org/2020/08/redsystem-new-features.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:45:31.423614+00:00, sha bd3aa956dbf8)
  - site_page: https://www.red-lang.org/2024/02/065-changelog.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:45:31.421642+00:00, sha 22e038c3eedb)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.