Setup

Download WASM-4:

This contains the w4 command that will be used to create new projects and run games locally.

info

You can also install w4 with NPM by running npm install -g wasm4

Quickstart#

Let's go over creating a new project called hello-world for your chosen language. Use the dropdown menu to select a different language.

To compile AssemblyScript projects you will need npm installed.

w4 new --assemblyscript hello-worldcd hello-world

First we'll setup AssemblyScript (this only needs to be done once):

npm install

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

npm run build

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

To compile C/C++ projects you will need to download the WASI SDK and set the $WASI_SDK_PATH environment variable.

w4 new --c hello-world

For a C++ project pass --cpp instead of --c like this:

w4 new --cpp hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

cd hello-worldmake

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

To compile WASM-4 cartridges written in C3 you will need the C3 compiler. The sample project uses freestanding WASM, so some libc-dependent features are unavailable.

w4 new --c3 hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge from within the project directory:

c3c build

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run cart.wasm

To compile D projects you will need ldc and dub installed. To use libc, you also need to download the WASI SDK and set the $WASI_SDK_PATH environment variable.

w4 new --d hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

make

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run cart.wasm

To compile nelua projects you will need nelua installed. You will also need to download the WASI SDK and set the $WASI_SDK_PATH environment variable.

w4 new --nelua hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

make

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

To compile Nim projects you will need nimble installed. You will also need to download the WASI SDK and set the $WASI_SDK_PATH environment variable.

w4 new --nim hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

nimble rel

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

To compile Odin projects you will need to download the WASI SDK and set the $WASI_SDK_PATH environment variable. You'll also need the latest version of Odin.

w4 new --odin hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

make

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

note

Penne is a work-in-progress esoteric language, so there are no stability guarantees. Your feedback is highly appreciated.

To compile WASM-4 cartridges written in Penne you will need a Penne compiler and a wasm-compatible version of clang. The easiest way is to download the WASI SDK and set the $WASI_SDK_PATH environment variable.

w4 new --penne hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

make

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

note

Porth is currently a work in progress language. Anything can change at any moment without notice.

To compile Porth projects you will need to download 4orth and add it to $PATH.

w4 new --porth hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

make

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

note

Roland is still under development. There are no stability guarantees, but your feedback will be highly influential!

To compile Roland projects you will need to download rolandc binary and put it on your path.

w4 new --roland hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

rolandc cart.rol --wasm4

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run cart.wasm

To compile Rust projects you will need cargo installed. You will also need the wasm32 target, which can be installed with rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown.

w4 new --rust hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

cargo build --release

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run target/wasm32-unknown-unknown/release/cart.wasm

To compile WebAssembly Text projects you will need to download WABT and set the $WABT_PATH environment variable.

w4 new --wat hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

make

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run build/cart.wasm

To compile Zig projects you will need a recent build of zig installed.

w4 new --zig hello-worldcd hello-world

Compile the .wasm cartridge:

zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseSmall

Run it in WASM-4 with:

w4 run zig-out/bin/cart.wasm

tip

You can also use w4 watch to automatically watch for changes in source files and rebuild in real-time.

Next Steps#

Next let's take a look at some source code for Hello World.