C without the ceremony

NanoC is a small programmable frontend for C. You write less, the compiler emits ordinary, readable C11, and your C compiler, libraries and tools keep working unchanged.

InstallTry it in the browserTake the tour

+stdio
f main
  for i := 1; i <= 3; i++
    printf("hello %d\n", i)
  0

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {
    for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++) {
        printf("hello %d\n", i);
    }
    return 0;
}

The left side is NanoC, the right side is exactly what the compiler writes. No runtime library, no hidden allocation, no new ABI.

Why NanoC

• Less noise. Indentation replaces braces and semicolons; f name(args) type declares functions; the last expression is the result.
• Real C underneath. Unmarked C passes through untouched, so existing headers, libraries and build systems just work.
• Programmable. Token macros (@m) and translate-time programs (@tt) generate code during translation, with the generated C visible.
• Inspectable. Output is deterministic and readable, with #line directives and source maps back to your NanoC.
• Portable. The compiler is self-hosted and bootstraps from a generated C seed with only a C11 compiler.

Explore

• InstallBuild from source with any C11 compiler.
• TourSeven short snippets with the C they produce.
• GuideNine lessons from hello world to translate time.
• LanguageTypes, functions, control flow, @tt and C interop.
• ExamplesSixteen programs with generated C and real output.
• ReferenceEvery translate-time builtin with a checked example.
• PlaygroundThe real compiler in your browser.
• Prompt builderTurn an idea into a prompt for any LLM.

Built for AI-assisted coding

NanoC ships a compact syntax card, JSON diagnostics and a repair loop, so an LLM can write and fix it with few tokens. Use the prompt builder to turn an idea into a ready-to-paste prompt, or point your agent at llms.txt.

nanoc help syntax
nanoc check file.nc --json