Grass is an esoteric/experimental programming language created by Yoshimitsu Yoshioka. The language is intentionally designed to look like a field of grass using only three characters: "w", "W", and "v". Programs written in Grass resemble repetitive lawn patterns rather than normal code. Despite the strange appearance, Grass is fully Turing-complete, meaning it can theoretically compute anything that traditional languages like Python or C can, just with much more suffering.
Grass does not use typical syntax or keywords. Instead, it uses strings of repeated letters to represent functions, values, and instructions. The structure is built around lambda calculus — a mathematical model that serves as the theoretical foundation of functional programming. If you understand lambda calculus, Grass makes sense. If not, it feels like staring at a broken keyboard.
🔥 Specs
Language Type: Esoteric / Experimental
Released: 2005
Creator: Yoshimitsu Yoshioka
Syntax Characters: w, W, v only
Execution Model: Lambda calculus based
Typing: Functional (no variables)
💻 Example Code (Hello World)
Below is the canonical Grass “Hello, World!” program. Yes, this is real:
wvwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
(It prints “Hello, World!” if your sanity survives.)
🧠 How It Works
- Uses only
w,W, andvas valid characters - Everything is based on lambda calculus (functions applied to functions)
- Repeated characters represent increasing values or instructions
- There are no keywords, numbers, loops, or variables
- Execution feels like decoding alien grass patterns
If Python is a readable book, Grass is a cursed lawn that somehow compiles.
🌍 Where to Run It
You can run Grass online using the interpreter available on TIO.run.
🎯 Should You Learn It?
For career use: ❌
For understanding functional theory: ✔️
For trolling other programmers: ✔️✔️
For mental health: ❌❌❌
📌 Summary
Grass is one of the strangest languages ever created. It doesn't try to be readable or practical — instead, it turns programming into visual chaos. While it’s not useful in the real world, it’s a fascinating example of how far programming language design can be stretched while still remaining technically valid.
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