jank
A native Clojure dialect hosted on LLVM with seamless C++ interoperability.
What is jank?
jank is a native Clojure dialect hosted on LLVM with seamless C++ interoperability. It brings Clojure's interactive, functional, and value-oriented programming model to a native runtime, offering performance similar to C++ while maintaining strong compatibility with Clojure. The language aims to solve the need for Clojure-like expressiveness in environments where native performance and direct system integration are critical.
Developers familiar with Clojure who need native performance, C++ interoperability, or want to use Clojure-like semantics outside the JVM. It's also for those interested in programming language design and compilers targeting LLVM.
Developers choose jank for its unique combination of Clojure's high-level expressiveness and interactive development workflow with the native performance and C++ interoperability provided by LLVM. It offers a compelling alternative for scenarios where the JVM is not suitable but Clojure's semantics are desired.
Overview
The native Clojure dialect hosted on LLVM with seamless C++ interop.
Use Cases
Best For
- Building high-performance applications with Clojure-like syntax
- Integrating Clojure code with existing C++ libraries or systems
- Developing system-level software with functional programming paradigms
- Creating native executables with interactive REPL-driven development
- Exploring programming language design and LLVM-based compilers
- Migrating JVM-based Clojure projects to native runtimes
Not Ideal For
- Projects requiring immediate production stability and a mature, battle-tested ecosystem
- Teams needing extensive third-party libraries beyond Clojure's core compatibility
- Developers unfamiliar with Clojure's syntax or functional programming paradigms
- Environments where JVM interoperability or existing Java libraries are essential
Pros & Cons
Pros
Strongly aligns with Clojure's syntax and semantics, easing migration for existing Clojure developers and reducing learning curves.
Built on LLVM, it delivers performance comparable to C++ for compute-intensive tasks, as highlighted in its focus on bridging high-level expressiveness with low-level efficiency.
Direct interoperability with C++ code allows effortless integration with existing libraries, demonstrated in the README with examples like std::chrono calls.
Supports an interactive workflow with a REPL, embracing Clojure's development style for rapid prototyping and debugging.
Cons
Explicitly marked as in alpha, jank has unstable APIs and may introduce breaking changes, making it unsuitable for production use.
Limited third-party libraries and community support compared to established languages like Clojure on JVM, restricting out-of-the-box functionality.
Requires LLVM and C++ toolchains for compilation, which can be more cumbersome to install and configure than JVM-based alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
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