DEV Community

Cover image for ArnoldC — The Language Where Syntax Is Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes
Pʀᴀɴᴀᴠ
Pʀᴀɴᴀᴠ

Posted on

ArnoldC — The Language Where Syntax Is Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes

What is ArnoldC?

ArnoldC is an esoteric programming language created by Lauri Hartikka in 2014. The language replaces normal keywords with famous Arnold Schwarzenegger movie lines. Instead of using words like "if", "print", or "end", ArnoldC uses quotes like "BECAUSE I'M GOING TO SAY PLEASE" and "HASTA LA VISTA, BABY". The result is a fully functional programming language that feels like you're writing an action movie script instead of code.

ArnoldC was made for humor, creativity, and entertainment—not practicality. However, it is still Turing-complete and supports variables, loops, conditions, and functions, making it surprisingly capable despite its comedic origins.

Specs

Language Type: Joke / Esoteric

Released: 2014

Creator: Lauri Hartikka

Syntax Style: Movie quotes

Execution Model: Imperative

Typing: Dynamic

CODE EXAMPLE (Hello World) 

IT'S SHOWTIME
TALK TO THE HAND "Hello World"
YOU HAVE BEEN TERMINATED
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This prints:

Hello World

How It Works

ArnoldC maps each command to a specific movie quote. Some examples:

  • IT'S SHOWTIME = start program
  • TALK TO THE HAND = print
  • GET TO THE CHOPPER = variable assignment start
  • HE HAD TO SPLIT = end statement
  • I LIED = else condition
  • HASTA LA VISTA, BABY = end loop or program

The language imitates normal programming structure, but every keyword is replaced with a line from Arnold’s films, making the code both hilarious and confusing.

Strengths

  • Extremely funny and memorable.
  • Fully functional despite being a parody.
  • Great for teaching basic programming concepts in an entertaining way.
  • A popular language for novelty coding challenges.

Weaknesses

  • Verbose and impractical for real programs.
  • Hard to remember syntax unless you know the movie quotes.
  • Limited tooling and interpreter support.

Where to Run

ArnoldC can be run using interpreters found on GitHub or in online coding environments like TIO.run.

Should You Learn It?

For a serious job: No

For fun and memes: Yes

For showing off to developers: Definitely

For maintainable code: Absolutely not

Summary

ArnoldC takes programming and turns it into an action movie parody. By replacing formal syntax with iconic Schwarzenegger quotes, it creates a funny, chaotic, and strangely enjoyable programming experience. While it will never replace mainstream languages, ArnoldC remains one of the most entertaining and creative esolangs ever made.

Top comments (0)