Compiles to portable C

A new, safer language for both humans and LLMs.

U is a systems language where the safe path and the fast path are the same path. Write the obvious code — the compiler handles memory, concurrency, and vectorization. No garbage collector, no data races, no ceremony. LLMs generate correct U on the first try because the defaults are already safe.

Try it in the browser Learn U
the whole idea
// Parameters are read-only by default.
// Shared without a lock, copied without a care.
f describe(cfg: Config) -> S
	r => "{{cfg.name}} v{{cfg.version}}"

// +V says: these lanes are independent.
// The C that comes out uses real SIMD.
f scaleAll(arr: [I +V] +R) -> [I +V] +R
	r => arr.map(val => val * 3)

What makes U different

Every safety property comes from one system: modifiers on types. No separate borrow checker, no async runtime, no SIMD intrinsics to learn. One mechanism, six benefits.

MEMORY

No garbage collector, no manual free

Stack by default. +R moves a value to the refcounted heap and the compiler emits the retain and release calls. No pauses, no lifetime annotations to argue with.

CONCURRENCY

Async without splitting your code in two

a before a call makes it async — a fiber. No async/await coloring, no ThreadPoolExecutor. The same function works whether its input arrives now or later.

PARALLELISM

SIMD without intrinsics

+V promises the lanes are independent. The emitted C uses vector types that become SSE or AVX on x86, NEON on ARM, and WebAssembly SIMD in the browser. Write it wrong and it's a compile error, not a silent slow path.

GPU

GPU compute without CUDA

+R(GPU) puts data in device memory and turns a .map() into a WGSL compute shader. The same kernel runs in the browser through WebGPU and natively through Dawn — one source, every device.

SAFETY

Immutable by default, mutable when you ask

Parameters can't be mutated. Fields outside your instance can't be mutated. Shared state goes through atomic << patches. Data races are compile errors, not runtime crashes.

OUTPUT

Readable C, no runtime to install

U emits ordinary C11 with no runtime to install. It compiles with the toolchain you already have, and the same source goes to WebAssembly through Emscripten.

One modifier changes what the compiler does

Pick one. The code below is real, and so is the C beside it — both come straight out of the compiler.

U

      

      

        
emitted C

        

      

    

  






  

    

      
A web API with safe queries and atomic transactions

      
No framework, no ORM boilerplate, no threading library. The handler is a function. The query compiles to parameterized SQL. The transaction retries on conflict automatically.

    


    

      
A complete CRUD API in U


// ── Schema ──────────────────────────────────────────
d User : Database.Row
    name:  S
    email: S
    score: I

// ── Handlers — pure functions: Request in, Response out ──
f list_users(req: Request) -> Response
    users = Database.Query({ store: "users" })
        .select(["name", "email", "score"])
        .orderBy("score", "DESC")
        .limit(50)
        .fetchAll()
    r => Response({ body: JSON.encode(users) })

f create_user(req: Request) -> Response ! ValidationError
    body = JSON.decode(req.body)
    body.name.len < 1 ? e ValidationError("name required")
    user = User({ name: body.name, email: body.email, score: 0 })
    user.save()
    r => Response({ status: 201, body: JSON.encode(user) })

f award_points(req: Request) -> Response
    // Transaction: both users update atomically, or neither does
    << (
        from = Database.Query({ store: "users" })
            .where("email", "=", req.query["from"]).fetchRow()
        to = Database.Query({ store: "users" })
            .where("email", "=", req.query["to"]).fetchRow()
        from.score < 10 ? e Rollback("not enough points")
        from << { score: from.score - 10 }
        to << { score: to.score + 10 }
    )
    r => Response({ body: "transferred" })

// ── Start ───────────────────────────────────────────
f main() -> none
    serve(8080, {
        "GET /users":       list_users,
        "POST /users":      create_user,
        "POST /award":      award_points
    })

    


    

      
What the compiler enforces in this code — without a single annotation beyond what you see:

      
• req is -M (parameter default) — handlers can't corrupt the request

         • from.score read inside << ( ) is a snapshot — retries on conflict automatically

         • from << { score: ... } is an atomic MVCC patch — no lock, no mutex

         • Rollback exits the transaction cleanly — neither update applies

         • ! ValidationError in the signature — the caller knows exactly what can fail

         • The query builder compiles to parameterized SQL — no injection, ever

    

  






  

    

      
How far along is it

      
U is a working reference compiler, not a finished product. The status page
      is deliberately blunt about which features run, which are simplified, and
      which are still stubs — every row names its own limits.

    

    

      
        
Language specification

        
The full reference: types, modifiers, memory model, concurrency,
        error handling, and the reasoning behind each choice.

        u_language.html
      
      
        
Implementation notes

        
How u2c is built — parser, linter, code generation, the runtime, and the
        decisions that shaped them.

        implementation.html
      
      
        
Feature status

        
Every feature marked Works, Simplified, or Placeholder, with the exact
        scope and the test that backs it.

        FEATURE_MATRIX.html
      
      
        
U on the web

        
Notes on running U in the browser: the WebAssembly path, the playground,
        and what still has to land.

        web-implementation.html
      
      
        
Learn U

        
A short tour that starts at functions and ends with a GPU kernel, with
        runnable snippets the whole way.

        learn.html
      
      
        
Snippet library

        
Small, copyable programs that show one idea each — and a link format for
        sharing your own.

        snippets.html