# zenc-lang/zenc

Write like a high-level language, run like C.

Repository: https://github.com/zenc-lang/zenc
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/zenc
Homepage: https://www.zenc-lang.org/
Language: C
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: c, compiler, lsp, open-source, programming-languages, repl, transpiler, zen-c
Last push: 2026-08-13T16:52:32+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 73/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 97, release rhythm 75, longevity 16
- inputs: {"age_days": 234, "days_push": 20, "days_rel": 166, "gap_med": 7, "n_releases_24m": 8}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4311, forks 221 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:41.769099+00:00)

## What it is
Zen C is a modern, strictly typed systems programming language that transpiles to human-readable GNU C/C11, offering type inference, pattern matching, generics, traits, async/await, and RAII-style memory management with full C ABI compatibility. This repository contains the core compiler (`zc`), CLI, REPL, and standard library.

## Use cases
- write systems code with modern ergonomics that compiles to C
- transpile a high-level language to readable C11
- use pattern matching and traits in the C ecosystem
- call C libraries with zero FFI friction
- build embedded or kernel-level software with a modern language
- learn compiler and language design with an open-source toolchain

## When to choose
- you want C-level performance and ABI compatibility with a modern type system
- you need transparent compilation output without hidden runtime black boxes
- you target kernel dev, game engines, embedded systems, or HFT
- you want async/await and generics while staying in the C toolchain (GCC/Clang/TCC)

## When to avoid
- you need a mature, battle-tested language with large ecosystem and long-term support
- your team requires guaranteed compiler stability or formal specification compliance
- you need IDE support beyond early-stage tooling (VS Code extension is alpha)
- you want garbage collection or a managed runtime

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: compiler, programming-language, cli, interpreter, linter, testing
- domain: programming-languages, compilers, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, cpp
- tags: transpiler, c-abi, systems-programming, lsp, repl, raii, pattern-matching, async-await, comptime, misra, systems, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- zenc-lang/zenc (main) score 73

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:41.769099+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 2026-08-30T07:22:13.274259+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/zenc-lang/zenc (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:41.769099+00:00, sha f907e0265840)
  - homepage: https://www.zenc-lang.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T09:10:54.362493+00:00, sha a1e089b3834e)
  - site_page: https://docs.zenc-lang.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T09:10:54.367011+00:00, sha b1fc42547380)
  - site_page: https://docs.zenc-lang.org (fetched 2026-08-29T09:10:54.369057+00:00, sha b1fc42547380)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.