Introducing BNL: A New Meta-Language for Programming 🚀
For decades, programming languages have followed a familiar
architecture: Tokenizer → Parser → AST → Interpreter/Compiler →
Execution. This traditional flow has given us languages like Python,
Java, C++, and JavaScript. But what if we could invent something new ---
a different way of thinking about languages themselves?
That's exactly the idea I've been working on --- and I'm calling it
BNL (Browser-Native Language).
What is BNL?
BNL is a meta-language concept. Instead of being a standalone
language with its own VM or compiler, a BNL is built directly on top of
JavaScript and the browser runtime. That means it doesn't need a
virtual machine, low-level compiler backend, or even installation --- it
runs natively inside the browser, leveraging JavaScript as its
execution environment.
This approach makes creating new programming languages much easier,
faster, and more accessible.
The Meta-Language Architecture
A BNL doesn't follow the classic compiler pipeline strictly.
Instead, it introduces a new flow:
BNL Syntax → Custom Interpreter (JS-based) → Direct Browser
Execution
Here's the difference compared to traditional compilers:
- Traditional Languages: Tokenizer → Parser → AST → Compiler/Interpreter → Runtime
- BNL Meta-Languages: Syntax → Interpreter in JS → Browser Runtime
This shifts the idea of what a programming language is. Instead of being
compiled into machine code or bytecode, a BNL delegates execution to
JavaScript while still providing its own syntax and abstractions.
Why is this a New Category?
BNL is neither a transpiler, nor a classic compiler, nor just a DSL
(domain-specific language). It is a meta-language framework, where
the browser (via JavaScript) becomes the universal execution layer.
You can think of it as:\
Meta-Language = Language that defines languages (BNL) → Runs on JS →
Runs in Browser
This makes it possible for developers to invent entirely new
languages without touching low-level internals like assembly or LLVM.
Benefits of BNL
✅ Browser-Native Execution -- Runs anywhere JS runs (browser,
Node.js).\
✅ No Installation Needed -- Just load from a CDN and start coding.\
✅ Accessible Language Creation -- Anyone can build their own
language using JS as the runtime.\
✅ Experimentation-Friendly -- Perfect for trying out new syntax,
paradigms, or even educational languages.\
✅ Future-Proof -- As long as JS and browsers exist, your language
will run.
Example: Hinglish Language
One example of a BNL is my project: Hinglish Language. It's a fun,
experimental language that lets developers write code in Hinglish
syntax, which is then executed by a JavaScript-based interpreter
directly in the browser.
likho("Hello, Duniya!");
agar (x > 10) {
likho("Bada number!");
}
This Hinglish code runs inside the browser because the Hinglish
interpreter is written in JavaScript.
The Future of Programming?
I believe BNL and meta-languages open up a new frontier in
programming. Instead of waiting for years to design compilers and
runtimes, we can now prototype and launch languages that run natively in
browsers within days or weeks.
Imagine communities creating their own languages --- cultural,
educational, or domain-specific --- and sharing them instantly with a
CDN link.
This could democratize language creation the same way WordPress
democratized web publishing.
Conclusion
BNL (Browser-Native Language) is more than just a toy idea --- it's a
new category of programming languages. It's about rethinking the
architecture of how languages can be created and executed.
I'm excited to keep exploring this idea and invite others to experiment
with meta-languages. Who knows --- the next big programming paradigm
might start in the browser.
💡 What do you think? Could BNL be the future of how we invent
languages?\
Let's discuss in the comments!
Top comments (3)
i can understand your this programming language 😊
Nice job! I'm also experimenting with LLVM tools. But preparing a well versed Keywords and grammatical is too tough!
Thank you! Yes, preparing well-defined keywords and grammar is really challenging — that’s exactly why I started thinking in terms of BNL, to make experimentation with languages more flexible. Great to hear you’re working with LLVM too, that’s super powerful!”