Quick Start

Once you have the compiler installed and added to your PATH, you can write and execute Rune programs immediately.

1. Writing Your First File

Rune source files typically use the .rn or .rune extension.

Create a file named hello.rn in any folder with the following content:

# hello.rn
set message = "hello explorer"
write(message)

Run the file using the native rune CLI command in your terminal:

rune hello.rn

Output:

hello explorer

2. Language Basics

Here is a quick overview of variables, spells, and loops in Rune.

Variables

Declare and reassign variables using the set keyword:

set name = "Kapil"
write("Name is: ", name)

# Reassignment:
set name = "Rune Developer"
write("Updated name is: ", name)

Spells (Functions)

Define callable functions (spells) using the spell keyword. Parameters can be comma-separated or space-separated:

spell greet(name) {
    write("Hello, ", name)
}

greet("explorer")

Control Flow & Loops

Test conditions using if and otherwise blocks. Loop using while, repeat, or count:

# Repeat block a fixed number of times:
repeat 3 times {
    write("Rune is running")
}

# Iterate over a numeric range:
count from 1 to 3 as i {
    write("Step: ", i)
}

3. Interactive REPL

Rune includes an interactive Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL) for quick code testing.

Start the REPL by typing the compiler command with no arguments:

rune

You will see the interactive prompt:

Rune REPL (v0.2.0)
Type code and press Enter. Ctrl+C or Ctrl+D to exit.
>>> set greeting = "Welcome"
>>> write(greeting + " to Rune!")
Welcome to Rune!
>>> 

Press Ctrl+C or Ctrl+D (or type exit) to leave the REPL.