Exploring Statically Typed, Fast, and Embeddable Scripting Languages for C/C++

A Hacker News user initiated a quest for a specific type of scripting language: one that combines the small footprint, speed, and easy embeddability of Lua with the robust static typing of TypeScript, particularly with its strictest configurations enabled. This "Ask HN" thread quickly gathered several interesting suggestions, shedding light on the landscape of niche and specialized programming languages suitable for embedding into C or C++ applications.

The Challenge: Finding the Right Blend

The original poster's requirements are common for developers looking to add flexible scripting capabilities to native applications without sacrificing performance or the safety net of static type checking. Lua is a frequent choice for its renowned ease of embedding and impressive speed, but its dynamic typing can become a drawback for larger scriptbases or when strong compile-time guarantees are paramount.

Community Suggestions and Insights

Several languages were proposed by the community, each with its own set of features, maturity, and trade-offs:

• Dino: Suggested by user 90s_dev, who pointed to a benchmark (link) indicating Dino's potential for high performance, reportedly outperforming Lua and QuickJS in specific tests. However, this optimism was quickly tempered by another user, not_your_vase, who observed that the Dino project (GitHub) appears to be largely inactive. This observation led 90s_dev to reflect on the common fate of innovative but niche projects, which sometimes struggle to gain traction or be maintained long-term despite their promising capabilities, often not progressing beyond initial research phases.

• AngelScript: User diggan recommended AngelScript (Wikipedia), highlighting its use in several released games. This track record suggests it's a mature and production-ready option for embedding in applications requiring robust scripting with static typing.

• Nelua: Proposed by stefanos82, Nelua (website) aims to combine Lua's simplicity with ahead-of-time compilation and static typing features. This makes it a strong contender, potentially offering a good balance of the original poster's requirements by building upon Lua's strengths while adding the desired type safety.

• Teal (tl): User PaulHoule shared Teal (website), which they had recently discovered via an RSS feed. Teal is a typed dialect of Lua, providing static type checking for Lua code. This directly addresses the "like Lua but typed" aspect of the query, as it augments the existing Lua ecosystem with a type system.

• Wren (Initially suggested, then retracted): Wren (website) was also mentioned by diggan. However, they quickly edited their comment to clarify that Wren is not statically typed, contrary to their initial recollection. This correction is valuable as it prevents misinformation and highlights a common challenge when researching language features—details can sometimes be misremembered or initial information can be misleading.

Key Takeaways from the Discussion

The thread underscores the ongoing search for languages that effectively bridge the gap between high-performance system languages like C/C++ and flexible, yet safe, scripting languages. While several options exist, each comes with its own ecosystem, community size, project maturity, and specific implementation of static typing. The discussion serves as a valuable starting point for any developer with similar requirements, offering a curated list of languages to investigate further and a reminder of the dynamic nature of language development and adoption.