Changelog Interviews Hare aims to be a 100 year language
Dec 6, 2023
Drew DeVault, a free software developer and creator of the Hare programming language, dives deep into his passion for open-source and sustainable systems. He crafted Hare out of necessity, aiming for it to achieve unprecedented stability over a century. Drew discusses its unique C-like features, the philosophy behind SourceHut’s email-first approach versus GitHub, and the importance of community governance. Plus, he humorously touches on the art of making a perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
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Longevity By Design
- Hare targets long-term stability by prioritizing conservative, proven language design over novel experimental features.
- The goal is a language you can complete, depend on, and use to build software that endures for decades.
Built Because He Needed It
- Drew started Hare for the same reason he starts most projects: he wanted it to exist and it did not exist.
- He built the language to make subsequent projects easier rather than because of external demand.
Sustainable Free Software Business
- SourceHut is a profitable, three-person business that builds free software and publishes financial reports.
- It funds work on projects like Hare while allowing engineers to prioritize interesting free-software work.