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Pony is an open-source, actor-model, capabilities-secure, high performance programming language

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Quick Overview

Pony is a concurrent, actor-model, capabilities-secure, high-performance programming language. The ponyc repository contains the Pony compiler and standard library implementation.

Pros

  • Concurrency and Parallelism: Pony's actor-based concurrency model and lightweight "actors" (called Actors) enable highly concurrent and parallel program execution.
  • Memory Safety: Pony's type system and ownership model ensure memory safety without the need for a garbage collector, preventing common memory-related bugs.
  • Performance: Pony is designed for high-performance, with a focus on low-latency and efficient resource utilization.
  • Capabilities-Secure: Pony's capabilities-secure type system helps prevent common security vulnerabilities, such as data races and access control issues.

Cons

  • Niche Language: Pony is a relatively new and niche language, which may make it harder to find resources, libraries, and tooling support compared to more established languages.
  • Steep Learning Curve: Pony's unique features, such as the actor model and capabilities-secure type system, can make it challenging for developers to learn, especially if they are more familiar with traditional object-oriented or imperative programming languages.
  • Limited Ecosystem: The Pony ecosystem is still relatively small, with a limited number of available libraries and tools compared to more popular programming languages.
  • Ongoing Development: Pony is still under active development, which means that the language, standard library, and tooling may undergo breaking changes, potentially requiring more effort to maintain Pony-based projects.

Code Examples

Here are a few short code examples demonstrating Pony's key features:

Concurrent Actors

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    let greeter = Greeter.create(env)
    greeter.greet("Alice")
    greeter.greet("Bob")

actor Greeter
  new create(env: Env) =>
    None

  be greet(name: String) =>
    env.out.print("Hello, " + name + "!")

This example demonstrates Pony's actor-based concurrency model, where the Greeter actor can handle multiple greet messages concurrently.

Capabilities-Secure Types

class Wallet
  let _balance: U64 = 0

  fun ref deposit(amount: U64) =>
    _balance = _balance + amount

  fun ref withdraw(amount: U64): U64 =>
    if _balance >= amount then
      _balance = _balance - amount
      amount
    else
      0
    end

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    let wallet = Wallet
    wallet.deposit(100)
    let withdrawn = wallet.withdraw(50)
    env.out.print("Withdrew: " + withdrawn.string())

This example demonstrates Pony's capabilities-secure type system, where the Wallet class has a mutable _balance field that can only be accessed through the deposit and withdraw methods, preventing direct modification and ensuring thread-safe access.

Algebraic Data Types

type Shape = Circle | Rectangle | Triangle

class Circle
  let radius: F64

  new create(radius': F64) =>
    radius = radius'

class Rectangle
  let width: F64
  let height: F64

  new create(width': F64, height': F64) =>
    width = width'
    height = height'

class Triangle
  let a: F64
  let b: F64
  let c: F64

  new create(a': F64, b': F64, c': F64) =>
    a = a'
    b = b'
    c = c'

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    let circle: Shape = Circle(5.0)
    let rectangle: Shape = Rectangle(10.0, 20.0)
    let triangle: Shape = Triangle(3.0, 4.0, 5.0)

This example demonstrates Pony's support for algebraic data types, where the Shape type can represent a Circle, Rectangle, or Triangle, each with their own associated data.

Competitor Comparisons

33,640

General-purpose programming language and toolchain for maintaining robust, optimal, and reusable software.

Pros of Zig

  • Larger community and more active development
  • Better documentation and learning resources
  • Simpler syntax and easier to learn for beginners

Cons of Zig

  • Less focus on actor-based concurrency
  • Lacks some of Pony's advanced safety features
  • Still in pre-1.0 stage, potentially less stable

Code Comparison

Zig example:

const std = @import("std");

pub fn main() void {
    std.debug.print("Hello, World!\n", .{});
}

Pony example:

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    env.out.print("Hello, World!")

Key Differences

  • Zig is a systems programming language focusing on simplicity and performance
  • Pony emphasizes actor-based concurrency and type safety
  • Zig has a C-like syntax, while Pony's syntax is more object-oriented
  • Pony offers capabilities-secure actors, while Zig provides low-level control
  • Zig aims for better interoperability with C, whereas Pony has its own runtime

Community and Adoption

  • Zig has a larger and more active community
  • More third-party libraries and tools available for Zig
  • Pony has a smaller but dedicated community focused on actor-model programming

Use Cases

  • Zig: Systems programming, game development, embedded systems
  • Pony: Distributed systems, concurrent applications, fault-tolerant software
19,409

The Crystal Programming Language

Pros of Crystal

  • Ruby-like syntax, making it easier for Ruby developers to transition
  • Built-in type inference, reducing the need for explicit type annotations
  • Faster compilation times compared to Pony

Cons of Crystal

  • Less emphasis on concurrency and actor-based programming
  • Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Pony
  • Garbage collection may introduce unpredictable pauses

Code Comparison

Crystal:

class Greeter
  def initialize(@name : String)
  end

  def greet
    puts "Hello, #{@name}!"
  end
end

Greeter.new("World").greet

Pony:

class Greeter
  let name: String

  new create(name': String) =>
    name = name'

  fun greet() =>
    env.out.print("Hello, " + name + "!")

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    let greeter = Greeter("World")
    greeter.greet()

Both languages offer strong typing and object-oriented programming. Crystal's syntax is more Ruby-like, while Pony's syntax is more unique and focuses on actor-based concurrency. Crystal uses type inference, allowing for more concise code, while Pony requires explicit type annotations. Pony's actor system is built into the language, providing better support for concurrent programming out of the box.

35,757

Simple, fast, safe, compiled language for developing maintainable software. Compiles itself in <1s with zero library dependencies. Supports automatic C => V translation. https://vlang.io

Pros of V

  • Faster compilation times than Pony
  • Simpler syntax and easier learning curve
  • Built-in memory management without garbage collection

Cons of V

  • Less mature ecosystem and fewer libraries compared to Pony
  • Limited support for concurrent programming features
  • Smaller community and fewer resources for learning

Code Comparison

V code example:

fn main() {
    println('Hello, World!')
}

Pony code example:

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    env.out.print("Hello, World!")

V focuses on simplicity and readability, with a syntax reminiscent of Go. Pony, on the other hand, uses an actor-based concurrency model and has a more complex syntax.

V aims for fast compilation and execution, while Pony prioritizes safety and concurrent programming. V's memory management is simpler, but Pony's approach may be more suitable for large-scale, concurrent systems.

Both languages are relatively new and still evolving. Pony has a more established ecosystem and community, while V is gaining popularity due to its simplicity and performance claims. Developers should consider their specific needs and project requirements when choosing between these two languages.

16,530

Nim is a statically typed compiled systems programming language. It combines successful concepts from mature languages like Python, Ada and Modula. Its design focuses on efficiency, expressiveness, and elegance (in that order of priority).

Pros of Nim

  • More mature and widely adopted language with a larger community
  • Supports multiple programming paradigms (imperative, functional, object-oriented)
  • Offers metaprogramming capabilities and compile-time execution

Cons of Nim

  • Slower compilation times compared to Pony
  • Less emphasis on concurrency and actor-based programming
  • More complex syntax and language features

Code Comparison

Nim example:

proc fibonacci(n: int): int =
  if n < 2:
    result = n
  else:
    result = fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2)

echo fibonacci(10)

Pony example:

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    env.out.print(fibonacci(10).string())

  fun fibonacci(n: U64): U64 =>
    if n < 2 then
      n
    else
      fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2)
    end

Both examples implement a simple Fibonacci function, showcasing the syntax differences between Nim and Pony. Nim's syntax is more concise and Python-like, while Pony's syntax emphasizes its actor-based concurrency model.

6,742

Odin Programming Language

Pros of Odin

  • Simpler syntax and easier learning curve
  • Better support for systems programming and low-level control
  • More active development and community engagement

Cons of Odin

  • Less mature ecosystem and fewer libraries
  • Lacks built-in concurrency features like Pony's actors
  • Not as focused on safety guarantees as Pony

Code Comparison

Odin example:

import "core:fmt"

main :: proc() {
    fmt.println("Hello, World!")
}

Pony example:

actor Main
  new create(env: Env) =>
    env.out.print("Hello, World!")

Both languages aim to provide modern alternatives to C, but with different focuses. Odin emphasizes simplicity and control, while Pony prioritizes safety and actor-based concurrency. Odin's syntax is more familiar to C programmers, whereas Pony introduces unique concepts like reference capabilities.

Odin is gaining traction in game development and systems programming, while Pony is often used in distributed systems and high-performance computing. The choice between them depends on specific project requirements and developer preferences.

45,598

The Julia Programming Language

Pros of Julia

  • Larger community and ecosystem, with more packages and resources available
  • Designed for high-performance scientific computing and data analysis
  • Dynamic typing with optional type annotations for improved performance

Cons of Julia

  • Longer compilation times, especially for the first run
  • Steeper learning curve for developers coming from traditional programming languages
  • Less memory-efficient compared to lower-level languages like C or Rust

Code Comparison

Julia:

function quicksort!(arr, low, high)
    if low < high
        pivot = partition!(arr, low, high)
        quicksort!(arr, low, pivot - 1)
        quicksort!(arr, pivot + 1, high)
    end
    return arr
end

Pony:

fun quicksort(arr: Array[I64]): Array[I64] =>
  if arr.size() <= 1 then
    arr
  else
    let pivot = arr(0)
    let left = Array[I64]
    let right = Array[I64]
    for i in Range(1, arr.size()) do
      if arr(i) < pivot then left.push(arr(i)) else right.push(arr(i)) end
    end
    quicksort(left) + [pivot] + quicksort(right)
  end

The Julia code showcases its concise syntax and in-place sorting, while the Pony code demonstrates its focus on immutability and functional programming concepts.

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README

Pony

Pony is an open-source, object-oriented, actor-model, capabilities-secure, high-performance programming language.

Status

Pony is still pre-1.0 and as such, semi-regularly introduces breaking changes. These changes are usually fairly easy to adapt to. Applications written in Pony are currently used in production environments.

Supported platforms

Operating Systems

  • Linux
  • macOS
  • Windows 10

CPUs

  • Full support for 64-bit platforms
    • x86, ARM and RISC-V CPUs only
  • Partial support for 32-bit platforms
    • The arm and armhf architectures are tested via CI (Continuous Integration testing)

Best effort platforms

Best effort platforms mean that there is support for the platform in the codebase but, we don't have any testing for the platform. We won't intentionally break a best-effort platform or remove support for it from the codebase, at the same time, we do make no effort to maintain it. When you go build a "best effort platform" from source, you might find it doesn't build. We welcome thoughtful pull requests to bring the platform up-to-date.

  • DragonFlyBSD (x86 only)
  • FreeBSD (x86 only)

More Information

Resources

Contributing

We welcome contributions to Pony. Please read through CONTRIBUTING.md for details on how to get started.

License

Pony is distributed under the terms of the 2-Clause BSD License. See LICENSE for details.