Polyglot
Edition I · Living Reference · 2026

Polyglot the programmer's reference library

A reference library for working programmers. Sixteen languages, all laid out the same way. Look up what you need; skip what you don't.

§ 01

The volumes

C

C

imperative

A general-purpose, statically typed, imperative systems programming language standardised by ISO/IEC since 1990. Forms the basis of operating-system kernels, language interpreters, embedded firmware, and the C application binary interface adopted by most other programming languages.

1972 First released
C23 Version
static Typing
20+ Topics
Open
C#

C#

imperative · OOP · functional

A general-purpose, statically typed, multi-paradigm programming language developed by Microsoft. Compiled to the Common Intermediate Language and executed by the .NET runtime; standardised through ECMA and ISO.

2000 First released
13 Version
static Typing
22+ Topics
Open
C++

C++

imperative · OOP · functional

A general-purpose, statically typed, multi-paradigm programming language standardised by ISO/IEC since 1998. Built on a C-compatible substrate with substantial additions for object-oriented programming, generic programming through templates, deterministic resource management via RAII, and a rich standard library.

1985 First released
C++23 Version
static Typing
22+ Topics
Open
Go

Go

imperative · concurrent

A general-purpose, statically typed, compiled language designed at Google. Combines a small grammar, garbage collection, and built-in concurrency primitives with a single canonical toolchain.

2009 First released
1.24 Version
static Typing
19+ Topics
Open
Haskell

Haskell

functional · declarative

A purely functional, statically typed, non-strict programming language standardised by an academic committee. The mainstream representative of the strongly typed functional tradition.

1990 First released
GHC 9.10 Version
static Typing
21+ Topics
Open
Java

Java

imperative · OOP

A general-purpose, statically typed, object-oriented programming language compiled to bytecode and executed on the Java Virtual Machine. The mainstream language of enterprise application development since the late 1990s.

1995 First released
23 Version
static Typing
22+ Topics
Open
Kotlin

Kotlin

imperative · OOP · functional

A general-purpose, statically typed programming language developed by JetBrains. Designed for full interoperability with Java; the official language for Android development and a target for cross-platform development through Kotlin Multiplatform.

2011 First released
2.1 Version
static Typing
21+ Topics
Open
Lua

Lua

imperative · functional

A small, dynamically typed scripting language designed for embedding in host applications. Found in game engines, application scripting, and as the configuration substrate for several systems.

1993 First released
5.4 Version
dynamic Typing
18+ Topics
Open
MATLAB

MATLAB

imperative · array · OOP · functional

A high-level numerical computing environment and programming language built around the matrix as the fundamental datum. Pervasive in engineering, scientific computing, control systems, signal and image processing, and finance; sold as a commercial product by The MathWorks since 1984.

1984 First released
R2024b Version
dynamic Typing
22+ Topics
Open
Python

Python

imperative · OOP · functional

A general-purpose, dynamically typed, interpreted programming language designed for readability and rapid development. Used widely in data science, scientific computing, scripting, web back-ends, and education.

1991 First released
3.13 Version
dynamic Typing
21+ Topics
Open
Ruby

Ruby

imperative · OOP · functional

A general-purpose, dynamically typed, multi-paradigm programming language designed for programmer productivity and readability. The substrate of Ruby on Rails and the principal influence on a generation of dynamic-language web frameworks.

1995 First released
3.4 Version
dynamic Typing
20+ Topics
Open
Rust

Rust

imperative · functional

A general-purpose, statically typed systems programming language with an ownership-based memory model that guarantees memory safety without a garbage collector. Compiles to native machine code through an LLVM-based toolchain.

2010 First released
1.84 Version
static Typing
22+ Topics
Open
SQLite

SQLite

declarative

A small, embedded, public-domain relational database engine that stores an entire database in a single ordinary file. The most-deployed database engine in the world, found in every major browser, every smartphone, every operating system, and in many embedded and avionics systems.

2000 First released
3.46 Version
dynamic Typing
21+ Topics
Open
Swift

Swift

imperative · OOP · functional

A general-purpose, statically typed, multi-paradigm programming language developed by Apple as a replacement for Objective-C across the Apple platforms. Open-source under the Apache 2.0 licence since 2015.

2014 First released
6.0 Version
static Typing
22+ Topics
Open
TypeScript

TypeScript

imperative · OOP · functional

A statically typed superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft. Adds compile-time type checking to a JavaScript program and emits plain JavaScript suitable for any conforming runtime.

2012 First released
5.7 Version
static Typing
21+ Topics
Open
Web (HTML / CSS / JS)

Web (HTML / CSS / JS)

imperative · OOP · functional · declarative

The three languages of the browser — HTML for document structure, CSS for styling and layout, JavaScript for behaviour — together with the substantial Web platform APIs (DOM, Events, Fetch, Storage). The conventional substrate of front-end development.

1991 First released
ES2025 / CSS Snapshot 2025 / HTML Living Standard Version
dynamic Typing
22+ Topics
Open