https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-dasher
Dasher - Rust LLVM-based AOT native compiler for santa-lang, compiling to optimized machine code
https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-dasher
advent-of-code aot-compiler cli compiler dasher llvm native-compiler rust santa-lang
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Dasher - Rust LLVM-based AOT native compiler for santa-lang, compiling to optimized machine code
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-dasher
- Owner: eddmann
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-01-02T16:39:55.000Z (3 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-01-07T12:04:17.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-01-13T19:57:56.970Z (2 months ago)
- Topics: advent-of-code, aot-compiler, cli, compiler, dasher, llvm, native-compiler, rust, santa-lang
- Language: Rust
- Homepage: https://eddmann.com/santa-lang/reindeer/dasher/
- Size: 1.91 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
- Agents: AGENTS.md
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README
# santa-lang Dasher
LLVM-based AOT native compiler implementation of [santa-lang](https://eddmann.com/santa-lang/), written in Rust.
## Overview
santa-lang is a functional, expression-oriented programming language designed for solving Advent of Code puzzles. This implementation compiles to native executables via LLVM, with type inference enabling specialization for native operations.
Key language features:
- First-class functions and closures with tail-call optimization
- Pipeline and composition operators for expressive data flow
- Persistent immutable data structures
- Lazy sequences and infinite ranges
- Pattern matching with guards
- [Rich built-in function library](https://eddmann.com/santa-lang/builtins/)
- AoC runner with automatic input fetching
## Architecture
```
Source Code → Lexer → Parser → Type Inference → Codegen → LLVM → Native Binary
↓
Runtime Library (FFI)
```
| Component | Description |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Lexer** | Tokenizes source into keywords, operators, literals |
| **Parser** | Builds an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) using Pratt parser |
| **Type Inference** | Infers and specializes types for native operations |
| **Codegen** | Generates LLVM IR using inkwell |
| **LLVM** | Compiles IR to native machine code (AOT) |
| **Runtime** | FFI library for type-aware operations and collections |
For detailed implementation internals, see [ARCHITECTURE.md](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md).
## Installation
### Docker
```bash
docker pull ghcr.io/eddmann/santa-lang-dasher:cli-latest
docker run --rm ghcr.io/eddmann/santa-lang-dasher:cli-latest --help
```
### Release Binaries
Download pre-built binaries from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-dasher/releases):
| Platform | Artifact |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Linux (x86_64) | `santa-lang-dasher-cli-{version}-linux-amd64` |
| Linux (ARM64) | `santa-lang-dasher-cli-{version}-linux-arm64` |
| macOS (Intel) | `santa-lang-dasher-cli-{version}-macos-amd64` |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | `santa-lang-dasher-cli-{version}-macos-arm64` |
## Usage
```bash
# Run a solution
santa-cli solution.santa
# Run tests defined in a solution
santa-cli -t solution.santa
# Include slow tests (marked with @slow)
santa-cli -t -s solution.santa
# Evaluate inline code
santa-cli -e '1 + 2'
# Read from stdin
echo 'puts(42)' | santa-cli
# Compile to standalone executable
santa-cli -c solution.santa
./solution
```
## Example
Here's a complete Advent of Code solution (2015 Day 1):
```santa
input: read("aoc://2015/1")
part_one: {
input |> fold(0) |floor, direction| {
if direction == "(" { floor + 1 } else { floor - 1 };
}
}
part_two: {
zip(1.., input) |> fold(0) |floor, [index, direction]| {
let next_floor = if direction == "(" { floor + 1 } else { floor - 1 };
if next_floor < 0 { break index } else { next_floor };
}
}
test: {
input: "()())"
part_one: -1
part_two: 5
}
```
Key language features shown:
- **`input:`** / **`part_one:`** / **`part_two:`** - AoC runner sections
- **`|>`** - Pipeline operator (thread value through functions)
- **`fold`** - Reduce with early exit support via `break`
- **`test:`** - Inline test cases with expected values
## Building
Requires Rust 1.85+ and LLVM 18:
```bash
# Build CLI (debug)
make build
# Build CLI (release)
make release
# Run tests
make test
# Run linting
make lint
```
## Development
Run `make help` to see all available targets:
```bash
make help # Show all targets
make can-release # Run all CI checks (lint + test)
make lint # Run rustfmt and clippy checks
make test # Run all tests
make fmt # Format code
make bench # Run Criterion benchmarks
make install # Install to ~/.cargo/bin
```
## Project Structure
```
├── lang/ # Core compiler library
│ └── src/
│ ├── lexer/ # Tokenization
│ ├── parser/ # AST construction (Pratt parser)
│ ├── types/ # Type inference
│ ├── codegen/ # LLVM IR generation
│ └── runner/ # AoC solution runner
├── runtime/ # FFI runtime library
│ └── src/
│ ├── value.rs # NaN-boxed value representation
│ ├── heap.rs # Heap object types
│ ├── operations.rs # Type-aware dispatch
│ └── builtins.rs # 80+ built-in functions
├── cli/ # Command-line interface
└── benchmarks/ # Performance benchmarks
```
## Other Reindeer
The language has been implemented multiple times to explore different execution models and technologies.
| Codename | Type | Language |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------- |
| [Comet](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-comet) | Tree-walking interpreter | Rust |
| [Blitzen](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-blitzen) | Bytecode VM | Rust |
| [Dasher](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-dasher) | LLVM native compiler | Rust |
| [Donner](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-donner) | JVM bytecode compiler | Kotlin |
| [Vixen](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-vixen) | Embedded bytecode VM | C |
| [Prancer](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-prancer) | Tree-walking interpreter | TypeScript |
## Tooling
| Name | Description | Language |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------- | ----------- |
| [Workbench](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-workbench) | Desktop IDE | Tauri/React |
| [Tinsel](https://github.com/eddmann/santa-lang-tinsel) | Code formatter | Zig |
## License
MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.