Install picoc with Homebrew, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• picoc

Project history

Zik Saleeba originally wrote PicoC as the scripting language for a UAV's onboard flight system. It was later generalized for robotic, embedded, and non-embedded use.

By the repository's 2011 README revision, PicoC was feature-frozen so that future development would not undermine its intentionally small footprint.

Adoption history

The official README records testing on x86, PowerPC, ARM, UltraSPARC, PA-RISC, and Blackfin systems and describes the interpreter as straightforward to port to additional targets.

PicoC remained useful beyond its original UAV setting as a small scripting engine for robotic, embedded, and conventional host applications.

How it is used

Run small C programs as scripts, or port the interpreter by selecting a platform in `platform.h`, implementing host I/O routines, and exposing the desired native library functions.

Why package nerds care

PicoC is notable as a deliberately incomplete but readable C interpreter whose core was kept to roughly 3,500 lines. Its small code and data footprint make it useful where a conventional compiler toolchain or larger scripting runtime is unsuitable.

The feature freeze is part of its packaging identity: maintainers receive a compact, stable interpreter rather than a project pursuing full ISO C conformance.

Timeline

• 2009: PicoC's documented copyright period began.
• 2011: The project README described PicoC as feature-frozen.

Related projects

• PicoC implements an essential subset of C rather than the complete ISO C language and can be embedded with platform-specific I/O and library functions.

Sources

• https://gitlab.com/zsaleeba/picoc/-/blob/master/README