# Nim

> programming language

**Wikidata**: [Q20080327](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20080327)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nim_(programming_language))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/nim

## Summary

Nim is a software application whose design was influenced by Modula-3, Object Pascal, C++, Python, Lisp, and Oberon.

## Summary
Nim is a compiled, metaprogramming language designed by Andreas Rumpf and first released in 2008. It supports multiple programming paradigms including imperative, procedural, functional, and object-oriented programming, and is available across Linux, macOS, Windows, and FreeBSD platforms.

## Key Facts
- Created by Andreas Rumpf, a German computer programmer, in 2008
- Latest stable version 0.20.2 released July 17, 2019
- Licensed under the MIT License with source code available on GitHub
- Influenced by Modula-3, Object Pascal, Python, Lisp, and Oberon
- Supports cross-platform development on Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, DragonFly BSD, and Haiku
- Features strong typing, structural typing, and type inference
- Has a dedicated subreddit (/r/Nim) created August 18, 2014
- Official Twitter handle @nim_lang with over 3,300 followers as of April 2020
- Active Discord server with 3,123 members as of the latest data
- Available through package managers including Homebrew, MacPorts, and Chocolatey

## FAQs
### Q: What is Nim used for?
A: Nim is a systems programming language used for developing applications that require high performance, cross-platform compatibility, and metaprogramming capabilities. It's suitable for everything from web development to systems programming.

### Q: Is Nim a compiled or interpreted language?
A: Nim is a compiled language that uses a source-to-source compiler to translate code into C, C++, or JavaScript before final compilation, offering both performance and portability.

### Q: How does Nim compare to Python?
A: While Nim's syntax is inspired by Python, it's a statically-typed compiled language rather than a dynamically-typed interpreted one, offering better performance while maintaining readability.

## Why It Matters
Nim represents an important evolution in programming language design by combining the expressiveness and readability of high-level languages like Python with the performance characteristics of compiled systems languages. Its metaprogramming capabilities allow developers to write code that generates code, enabling powerful abstractions and domain-specific languages. The language's cross-platform nature and ability to compile to multiple backends (C, C++, JavaScript) make it particularly valuable for projects that need to target multiple platforms without rewriting code. Nim's design philosophy emphasizes efficiency, expressiveness, and elegance, addressing the growing need for languages that can handle modern software development challenges while remaining accessible to developers. Its active community and continuous development since 2008 demonstrate its relevance in the programming language ecosystem.

## Notable For
- Combines metaprogramming capabilities with systems programming performance
- Unique source-to-source compilation approach targeting multiple backends
- Strong typing system with type inference that maintains Python-like syntax
- Active development with regular releases and growing community support
- Cross-compilation capabilities allowing development for multiple platforms from a single codebase

## Body
### Design and Philosophy
Nim was designed by Andreas Rumpf with the goal of creating a language that combines the efficiency of compiled languages with the expressiveness of high-level scripting languages. The language emphasizes metaprogramming, allowing developers to write code that generates other code at compile time, enabling powerful abstractions and domain-specific languages.

### Technical Architecture
Nim uses a source-to-source compilation model, translating Nim code into C, C++, or JavaScript before final compilation. This approach provides several advantages: it leverages existing optimizing compilers for the target languages, enables cross-compilation to different platforms, and allows Nim code to interface easily with existing C libraries. The language features a sophisticated type system with type inference, structural typing, and strong typing discipline.

### Language Features
Nim supports multiple programming paradigms including imperative, procedural, functional, and object-oriented programming. It includes advanced features like macros, templates, and generics that enable metaprogramming. The language uses an off-side rule syntax similar to Python, making it readable while maintaining the performance characteristics of compiled languages. Nim's standard library provides comprehensive support for common programming tasks, and the language includes a package manager called Nimble for third-party library management.

### Development and Community
The Nim project maintains an active development cycle with regular releases, with version 0.20.0 released in June 2019 and 0.20.2 following in July 2019. The community engages through multiple channels including a dedicated subreddit, Discord server, IRC channel, and official forums. The language has gained traction in various domains, from web development to systems programming, with an active ecosystem of libraries and tools.

### Platform Support
Nim is designed as a cross-platform language, supporting development on Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, DragonFly BSD, and Haiku operating systems. This broad platform support, combined with its ability to compile to multiple backends, makes Nim suitable for projects that need to target diverse environments without significant code changes.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Nim",
  "description": "A compiled, metaprogramming language designed by Andreas Rumpf in 2008",
  "url": "https://nim-lang.org/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nim_(programming_language)",
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1117307"
  ],
  "additionalType": "programming language"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/blob/devel/copying.txt)
2. [copying.txt. GitHub](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/blob/devel/copying.txt)
3. [Frequently Asked Questions](https://nim-lang.org/faq.html)
4. [Source](http://github.com/nim-lang/nim)
5. [Source](https://github.com/nim-lang/nim)
6. [Version 0.15.0 released. 2016](http://nim-lang.org/news/2016_09_30_version_0_15_0_released.html)
7. [Release 0.15.0. 2016](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.15.0)
8. [Version 0.16.0 released. 2017](http://nim-lang.org/news/e029_version_0_16_0.html)
9. [Release 0.16.0. 2017](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.16.0)
10. [Source](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases)
11. [Release 0.19.2. 2018](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.19.2)
12. [Source](https://nim-lang.org/blog/2019/06/06/version-0200-released.html)
13. [Release 0.20.0. 2019](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.20.0)
14. [Source](https://nim-lang.org/blog/2019/07/17/version-0202-released.html)
15. [Release 0.20.2. 2019](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.20.2)
16. [Release 0.8.14. 2012](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.8.14)
17. [Release 0.9.0. 2012](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.9.0)
18. [Release 0.9.2. 2013](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.9.2)
19. [Release 0.9.4. 2014](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.9.4)
20. [Release 0.9.6. 2014](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.9.6)
21. [Release 0.10.2. 2014](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.10.2)
22. [Release 0.11.0. 2015](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.11.0)
23. [Release 0.11.2. 2015](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.11.2)
24. [Release 0.12.0. 2015](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.12.0)
25. [Release 0.13.0. 2016](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.13.0)
26. [Release 0.14.0. 2016](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.14.0)
27. [Release 0.14.2. 2016](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.14.2)
28. [Release 0.15.2. 2016](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.15.2)
29. [Release 0.17.0. 2017](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.17.0)
30. [Release 0.17.2. 2017](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.17.2)
31. [Release 0.18.0. 2018](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.18.0)
32. [Release 0.19.0. 2018](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.19.0)
33. [Release 0.19.4. 2019](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.19.4)
34. [Release 0.19.6. 2019](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v0.19.6)
35. [Release 1.0.0. 2019](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.0.0)
36. [Release 1.0.2. 2019](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.0.2)
37. [Release 1.0.4. 2019](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.0.4)
38. [Release 1.0.6. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.0.6)
39. [Release 1.2.0. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.2.0)
40. [Release 1.2.2. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.2.2)
41. [Release 1.2.4. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.2.4)
42. [Release 1.0.8. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.0.8)
43. [Release 1.2.6. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.2.6)
44. [Release 1.0.10. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.0.10)
45. [Release 1.2.8. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.2.8)
46. [Release 1.4.0. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.4.0)
47. [Release 1.4.2. 2020](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.4.2)
48. [Release 1.4.4. 2021](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.4.4)
49. [Release 1.2.10. 2021](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.2.10)
50. [Release 1.2.12. 2021](https://github.com/nim-lang/Nim/releases/tag/v1.2.12)