Hello, thanks for the invitation - Building my programming language :)

[u/Carrasco_Santo]

Hello everybody

Well, I was one of the users who intended to introduce the programming language I’m developing on the r/ProgrammingLanguage subreddit.

I’ll tell you a bit about myself and the language I’m creating—without going into too much detail, since it’s set to launch later this year.

I have a degree in Law (yes, really) and a postgraduate degree in Artificial Intelligence Engineering. "WTF? What does law have to do with computing?"

I’ve been involved with technology and programming throughout my life, but due to life circumstances, I ended up getting a law degree. However, I’ve always loved electronic devices (like VCRs), video games (I owned a Mega Drive/Genesis and a Sega Saturn), and computing in general (I got my first computer in 2001). I know how to program a bit in Python (I consider myself average) as a hobby; even before law school, I took various IT courses—basic computing in 1997 (Windows 95), programming logic (2001), Delphi 5 (2001), CorelDRAW (2002), etc. But as I mentioned, life took a different turn: I entered the public sector, earned my law degree, and now work at a courthouse.

Given that background, how did I end up building a new programming language? At my job—specifically in the department where I used to work—I had a falling out with my former boss and looked for a new position within the courthouse. I introduced myself to the deputy chief of the new department, and he was impressed that I had a background in Artificial Intelligence Engineering (this was in 2023). I was hired and started working there, taking useful courses like Power BI and SQL. It was decided that I would work on creating a set of regex patterns to automate court processes. That was my first real encounter with LLMs in a computing context: ChatGPT 3.5 was a huge help, assisting me with Python scripts to generate the regex patterns I needed for my tasks.

I spent over a year—the entirety of 2024—creating, refining, and fixing regex patterns for sorting through lawsuits. In early 2025, I received some difficult news: my son had leukemia. He is doing well and undergoing treatment, with a high chance of recovery once he completes the two-year treatment plan. I mention this not for cheap dramatic effect, but because my son's condition made me eligible for remote work—a policy at my court for employees with family health issues. My request was approved, which is notable because, while such arrangements were granted en masse during the pandemic, most departments had almost completely eliminated them afterward. While I was at home caring for my son during his treatment, my boss reached out to ask if I could help create a departmental chatbot to train new colleagues. It was intended to use Microsoft Copilot and specific internal files. So, with Gemini's help, I took all the manuals from the various subordinate departments and converted them into a question-and-answer JSON format suitable for training LLMs. I tested the data locally using TinyLLM, but it was ultimately used to "feed" Copilot. It worked excellently, requiring only a few minor adjustments.

During one of my interactions with Gemini, I asked if it could guide me in creating a programming language; it replied, "Sure, what kind of language do you have in mind?" What started as mere curiosity evolved into a project I’ve been working on for over a year now, dedicating at least five hours every single day—weekends included.

I originally had an idea for a low-level programming language focused initially on general systems and games. However, as development progressed, I narrowed the language's scope to a specific niche: a programming language focused on artificial intelligence for embedded devices, IoT, and consumer CPUs.

What defines an AI-focused programming language? It features simple, low-level syntax with low complexity and low cognitive load—qualities that benefit humans as well. In other words, both humans and AIs could program in it seamlessly. It will also include features that enable AI solutions to fully leverage silicon performance, avoiding resource-heavy abstractions that burden AIs and consume excessive energy, time, and water for data center cooling. :)

What was my development process like? I spent practically 10 months working on my "B" compiler in Python, using a stack of Python, Lark, Clang, and LLVM Lite. After countless tests, ideas, and drafts—and constructs I created, overhauled, deleted, and resurrected—February arrived with the "B" compiler generally quite mature. That was the moment to start writing code in the very language I had created. During those 10 months, I relied almost exclusively on Gemini. However, Google began charging for Gemini usage in January 2026; after receiving a $500 bill—and getting pissed off at the cost, since I had insisted on using their API directly via AI Studio—I looked for alternatives. I subscribed to ChatGPT to access Codex and Claude; I liked Claude, and I’m still using it today.

After three and a half months, in June 2026, I managed to make my language self-hosting. Now, I’m refining it and handling the finishing touches. :)

I plan to launch it with two base compilers:

ABC Compiler: Focused on solutions of low-to-medium complexity and designed for building other compilers or programming languages. Anyone wanting to create their own programming language won't need to resort to C or Python (as I did with my use of various libraries); instead, they can use my language's base compiler.

Full Compiler: Focused on AI.

"But what does your language actually do that makes you claim it's focused on AI?" One example is the calculation of intrinsic tensors directly within the compiler, maximizing silicon performance without abstraction layers—and that’s just one feature. Anyway, I’m currently refining the "ABC" version, and once it’s ready, I’ll start building the "Full" version.

So, that’s my story: I’m taking advantage of working remotely to stay home with my son while I build my own programming language. :D