Getting Started with Strata

Welcome to Strata! This guide will help you get up and running with Strata in just a few minutes.

What You'll Learn

• How to install Strata
• How to write your first program
• Basic concepts and syntax
• How to compile and run Strata code

Prerequisites

• Early Access: Strata is in very early development (pre-alpha). Access requires approval.
• Basic familiarity with programming concepts

Installation

Early Access Required: Strata is currently in very early development: it's not even in alpha yet. Access is limited and requires approval.

To use Strata, please submit a request here: Request Access

For detailed information, see the Installation Guide.

Your First Program

Create a file called hello.str:

fn main(): Void {
    print("Hello, Strata!");
}

Run:

strata run hello.str

You should see: Hello, Strata!

Note: You can also build to PHP first with strata build hello.str, then run the generated PHP file from the build/ directory. The run command is faster for development.

Understanding the Code

Let's break down what we just wrote:

fn main(): Void {

• fn - declares a function
• main - the function name (entry point)
• : Void - the return type (returns nothing)

    print("Hello, Strata!");

• print() - outputs text to the console
• Strings are enclosed in double quotes

The main() function returns Void.

Important: Named Arguments Required

In Strata, all function arguments must be named when calling functions. Positional arguments are not allowed:

fn add(a: Int, b: Int): Int {
    return a + b;
}

// correct: named arguments
let sum = add(a: 5, b: 3);

// Error: positional arguments not allowed
let sum = add(5, 3);

This also applies to class instantiation:

class User(name: String, email: String) {
    // ...
}

// correct
let user = User(name: "Donald", email: "donaldpakkies@gmail.com);

// Error: positional arguments not allowed
let user = User("Donald", "donaldpakkies@gmail.com");

Named arguments make code more readable and self-documenting. See Functions for more details.

Important: Top-Level Code

In Strata, the top level is primarily for declarations (functions, classes, types, etc.) and simple setup logic (like let definitions and print). Complex execution logic like loops, if/else statements, and error handling must reside inside functions (like main()). See Top-Level Code for complete details.

Next Steps

Now that you've written your first program, explore:

• Language Reference - Learn about types, functions, classes, and more
• Examples - See real-world code examples
• Error Handling - Learn how Strata handles errors

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Ready to learn more? Continue to the Language Reference →