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Dec 19 2012, 1:42

[Open sourced REBOL 3 programming language on Syllable Desktop 0.6.7]

As we predicted many years ago, version 3 of the REBOL programming language has finally been open sourced, under the Apache 2 licence. REBOL originally constituted our main cross-platform strategy, but we are now also free to use it in the Syllable base platform, which should not contain closed parts.

So far, REBOL 3 ran on Syllable Desktop using the Linux version of the interpreter library. Now its source code compiles natively on Syllable, and we have integrated it in our build system. To compile REBOL and start it, enter the following commands in the terminal. You need the latest version of Builder. On Syllable Desktop 0.6.7, do:

    build update
    build log
    package unregister Builder
    package register Builder
    build REBOL-Core--current
    build install REBOL-Core--current
    r3

On Syllable Server, install the newer Builder package. Then do:

    s build update
    build log
    build get REBOL-Core--current

Install the binary version of REBOL 3 in the REBOL-Core--current/make/ subdirectory as r3-make. Then from the parent directory again:

    build REBOL-Core--current
    build install REBOL-Core--current
    r3

We now have the choice between the interpreted REBOL language and the compiled Red language. We have already contributed a bridge between them, that allows to write REBOL extensions in the Red/System language. Previously, REBOL 3 extensions needed to be developed in C, which has proven unpopular. This currently requires a development branch of Red on Windows, but this will be extended to Syllable.