1
Install Prerequisites
Mica requires a recent stable Rust toolchain. LLVM is bundled with Rust, so no additional native dependencies are needed.
# Install Rust via rustup
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
# Verify installation
rustc --version
cargo --version
Rust 1.70+ is recommended. Update your toolchain if needed:
rustup update
2
Clone and Build
Clone the Mica repository and build the compiler:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Sir-Teo/mica.git
cd mica
# Build the compiler (first build will download dependencies)
cargo build --release
# The compiler binary will be at: target/release/mica
💡 Tip: The first build takes a few minutes as it downloads and compiles dependencies. Subsequent builds are incremental and much faster.
3
Verify Installation
Run the test suite to ensure everything is working correctly:
cargo test
Check the CLI help to see available commands:
cargo run --bin mica -- --help
✓ Success! If all tests pass, you're ready to start programming in Mica.
4
Write Your First Program
Create a file named hello.mica:
module hello
capability Console
func main(using Console console) -> Result[Int, Error] {
let hour = 14
let message = match hour {
hour if hour < 12 -> "Good morning"
hour if hour < 18 -> "Good afternoon"
_ -> "Good evening"
}
console.println(message)
Ok(0)
}
This program demonstrates:
- Module declaration
- Capability declaration (Console)
- Pattern matching with guards
- Explicit capability usage
- Result type for error handling
5
Compile and Run
There are several ways to work with your program:
# View the AST (Abstract Syntax Tree)
cargo run --bin mica -- --ast hello.mica
# Pretty-print the AST
cargo run --bin mica -- --ast --pretty hello.mica
# Check for errors (type checking, exhaustiveness)
cargo run --bin mica -- --check hello.mica
# Lower to HIR (High-level IR)
cargo run --bin mica -- --lower hello.mica
# View typed SSA IR
cargo run --bin mica -- --ir hello.mica
# View LLVM scaffold
cargo run --bin mica -- --llvm hello.mica
# Build a native binary
cargo run --bin mica -- --build hello.mica
# Compile and run immediately
cargo run --bin mica -- --run hello.mica
6
Explore Examples
The examples/ directory contains many sample programs demonstrating different features:
# Algebraic data types
cargo run --bin mica -- --run examples/adt.mica
# Concurrency with spawn/await
cargo run --bin mica -- --run examples/concurrency_pipeline.mica
# Generic tree algorithms
cargo run --bin mica -- --run examples/generics_tree_algorithms.mica
# Effects and resource management
cargo run --bin mica -- --run examples/effects_resource_pool.mica
# Comprehensive deployment example
cargo run --bin mica -- --run examples/comprehensive_deployment.mica
See the Examples page for a complete catalog with descriptions.
7
Development Workflow
For a smooth development experience, consider using cargo-watch:
# Install cargo-watch
cargo install cargo-watch
# Auto-run on file changes
cargo watch -x "run --bin mica -- --run hello.mica"
💡 Editor Support: While a dedicated LSP is in development, you can use the CLI tools
for quick feedback. The pretty-printer ensures consistent code style.
🎉 You're All Set!
You now have a working Mica installation and have written your first program.
Next Steps