# Opal

> programming language

**Wikidata**: [Q2024920](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2024920)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opal_(programming_language))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/opal-q2024920

## Summary
Opal is a functional programming language officially known as "OPtimized Applicative Language" that is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0 or later. Developed by TU-Berlin, the language has seen multiple stable versions, with the latest being 2.4b released in 2013.

## Key Facts
- Opal is a functional programming language following the "OPtimized Applicative Language" specification
- The programming language is licensed under GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later
- The latest stable version is 2.4b, released on October 10, 2013
- Previous stable versions include 2.4a (October 8, 2012), 2.4 (October 5, 2011), and 2.3n (October 15, 2010)
- Opal is developed by TU-Berlin with the source code hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal
- The project has Freebase ID /m/067dmx and Wikipedia articles available in German, English, and Persian
- Opal is classified as copyrighted software with 3 sitelinks across different language editions

## FAQs
### Q: What programming paradigm does Opal follow?
A: Opal is a functional programming language designed with functional programming principles.

### Q: Who developed Opal and where can I find the source code?
A: Opal was developed by TU-Berlin (Technical University of Berlin), and its source code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal.

### Q: What is the license for Opal?
A: Opal is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later.

## Why It Matters
Opal represents a significant contribution to functional programming languages by providing an optimized implementation of applicative language concepts. As an open-source project developed by a university, it serves both as an educational tool for teaching functional programming principles and as a practical implementation demonstrating theoretical concepts. The project's continued development, with multiple stable versions released over several years, demonstrates a sustained commitment to improving the language. Its availability in multiple languages suggests its relevance in international academic communities, particularly for research in programming language design and implementation.

## Notable For
- Being developed by TU-Berlin as an open-source academic project
- Following a functional programming paradigm with optimized implementations
- Having multiple well-documented stable versions released between 2010-2013
- Being available under the GNU GPL v2.0 or later license, promoting open-source usage
- Having multilingual documentation including English, German, and Persian Wikipedia articles

## Body
### Overview
Opal is a functional programming language officially known as "OPtimized Applicative Language." It is developed by TU-Berlin (Technical University of Berlin) and distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0 or later.

### Version History
The programming language has several stable versions:
- 2.4b (October 10, 2013) - Latest stable version
- 2.4a (October 8, 2012)
- 2.4 (October 5, 2011)
- 2.3n (October 15, 2010)

### Technical Details
- Programming Paradigm: Functional programming
- License: GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later
- Source Code Repository: https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal
- Freebase ID: /m/067dmx
- Copyright Status: Copyrighted

### Documentation and Availability
Opal has Wikipedia articles available in multiple languages:
- German (de)
- English (en)
- Persian (fa)

The project currently has 3 sitelinks across different language editions of Wikipedia.

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal?tab=License-1-ov-file#readme)
2. [Release 2.3n. 2010](https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal/releases/tag/2.3n)
3. [Release 2.4a. 2012](https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal/releases/tag/2.4a)
4. [Release 2.4b. 2013](https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal/releases/tag/2.4b)
5. [Release 2.4. 2011](https://github.com/TU-Berlin/opal/releases/tag/2.4)