If you love compiler design, WebAssembly (Wasm), or clean language syntax, there is a new open-source project worth keeping an eye on: Exorcism (.exrc).
The official lang repo:
https://github.com/Hunterszone/exorcism-lang
Currently in active development, Exorcism is building a bridge between rapid frontend iteration and heavily optimized bytecode.
It pairs a Python-based compiler frontend for fast feature experimentation with an LLVM backend to tap into production-grade optimization passes.
Here is a quick look at what this new language brings to the table, how it writes, and where it is heading.
The Syntax at a Glance
Exorcism is statically typed, strongly checked, and features built-in type inference via the var keyword. One of its highlight design features is compile-time null safety. If you want a variable to hold a null value, you must explicitly mark it as nullable using a ? modifier.
An early code sample looks comfortably familiar:
// hello.exrc
String message = "Hello World!";
int a = 5;
int b = 10;
var result = a + b * 2; // Automatic type inference (int)
if (result > 20) {
print(message);
} else {
print("Computation failed");
}
How it Works:
Python to LLVM to WasmThe architecture behind Exorcism is highly modular, splitting the heavy lifting into two distinct stages:
The Python Frontend: Handles lexical analysis, parsing, Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) generation, and type checking. Using Python allows the project to experiment with new syntax and language rules rapidly.
The LLVM Backend: Translates the code into LLVM Intermediate Representation (.ll files). From there, it compiles directly down to a portable .wasm binary. Because pure WebAssembly requires a host environment to manage memory and map system calls, the Exorcism build tool automatically spits out a .js companion launcher file alongside your binary. This makes running your code on a machine as simple as executing exorcism run hello.exrc.
Current Progress & What's Next
Exorcism isn’t trying to replace your production enterprise languages today. Instead, it is a lean sandbox designed to explore predictable language design, secure software development, and cross-platform execution.
A lot of the foundational pieces are already up and running, but the project is explicitly a Work in Progress (WIP). The core roadmap features currently being built include:
🛠️ Explicit Main Entry Points
🔄 Loops & Structured Control Flow
📦 Native Data Structures & Collections
🏗️ Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Features
📚 Expansion of the Standard Library
Want to Contribute?
Building a compiler from scratch is one of the most rewarding challenges in software engineering. Because the frontend is written in highly readable Python, it is an incredibly approachable ecosystem for new contributors who want to learn how code parses, type-checks, and targets LLVM.
I'd be happy if you share your thoughts on it and/or if you decide to jump with me into this new exiting adventure!
Cheers & stay tuned! :)
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