Getting Started with the Dassie Compiler

This guide will help you get started with the Dassie Compiler and create your first Dassie project.

Prerequisites

.NET Runtime: The Dassie Compiler requires .NET 10 or later to be installed on your system. Download it from the official .NET website.

Installation

Option 1: Download Pre-built Binary

Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page and extract it to a directory of your choice. Add the directory to your system's PATH environment variable for easy access.

Option 2: Build from Source

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/loschsoftware/dc.git
cd dc

Build the compiler:

dotnet build src/Dassie/Dassie.csproj -c Release

The compiled binaries will be in src/Dassie/bin/Release/net10.0/.

Verify Installation

Run the following command to verify the installation:

dc --version

You should see output displaying the compiler version and environment information.

Your First Project

Step 1: Create a New Project

Use the dc new command to create a new console application:

dc new console HelloWorld
cd HelloWorld

This creates a new directory HelloWorld with the following structure:

HelloWorld/
??? dsconfig.xml    # Project configuration file
??? main.ds         # Main source file

Step 2: Explore the Generated Code

Open main.ds to see the generated code:

import System

Console.WriteLine "Hello, World!"

Step 3: Build the Project

Build your project using:

dc build

The compiler will create a bin/ directory containing the compiled output.

Step 4: Run the Project

Run your compiled application:

dc run

You should see "Hello, World!" printed to the console.

Project Configuration

The dsconfig.xml file in your project root controls how your project is built. Here's a basic example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<DassieConfig FormatVersion="1.0">
  <ApplicationType>Console</ApplicationType>
  <AssemblyFileName>HelloWorld</AssemblyFileName>
</DassieConfig>

For a complete reference of all configuration options, see Project Files.

Common Tasks

Adding References

To reference an external .NET assembly:

<References>
  <AssemblyReference>path/to/library.dll</AssemblyReference>
</References>

To reference a NuGet package:

<References>
  <PackageReference Version="1.0.0">PackageName</PackageReference>
</References>

Building for Release

Create a build profile in your dsconfig.xml:

<BuildProfiles>
  <BuildProfile Name="Release">
    <Settings>
      <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
      <IlOptimizations>true</IlOptimizations>
    </Settings>
  </BuildProfile>
</BuildProfiles>

Then build with:

dc build Release

Watching for Changes

During development, use the watch command to automatically rebuild when files change:

dc watch

Or automatically run your application on changes:

dc watch -c run

Running Tests

If your project includes unit tests, run them with:

dc test

For more information on testing, see Unit Testing.

Next Steps

Command-Line Reference: Learn about all available compiler commands
Project Files: Detailed configuration options
Compiler Extensions: Extend the compiler with custom functionality
Error Codes: Reference for compiler messages

Getting Help

Use dc help to see all available commands
Use dc help <command> for detailed help on a specific command
Visit the GitHub repository for issues and discussions

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