Seven languages · close to the metal
Close to the metal,
seven ways
C, C++, HolyC, Zig, Hare, Odin, and Forth - the languages that build everything underneath everything. Pick a task and see it written in all seven at once: highlighted examples side by side, a deep look at how each manages memory, an adaptive quiz, and a timeline of how they shaped each other.
C
Portable assembler: you manage the memory, the machine does what you say.
1985C++
Zero-overhead abstraction over the bare metal - you pay only for what you use.
2005HolyC
A divine C dialect that is also its own JIT shell, written by one man for his temple.
2016Zig
If it isn't written, it doesn't happen - no hidden control flow, no hidden allocations.
2022Hare
A simple, stable, robust systems language - manual memory, a small spec, and no GC: a leaner alternative to C.
2016Odin
Joy in systems programming: explicit, data-oriented, and gloriously garbage-collector-free.
1970Forth
Two stacks, a dictionary, and nothing else - build the language up word by word.
Code Compare
24 tasks across all seven systems languages, with LSP-style coloring.
Regex Lab
One pattern, run live through C.s POSIX regex.h, with notes on how C++/Zig/Hare/Odin do regex - then beat the challenges.
Adaptive Quiz
228questions that learn what you need to practice.
Timeline
29moments tracing the lineage of these languages.
Feature Matrix
A near-exhaustive look at how each capability works in each language.