G#: A modern .NET language inspired by Go, Kotlin, and Swift
Original: G# – A modern .NET language with Go, Kotlin, and Swift ergonomics
Why This Matters
G# represents a new approach to .NET language design, targeting developers familiar with Go, Kotlin, or Swift ecosystems.
G# is a new open-source programming language for the .NET runtime, combining syntax ergonomics from Go, Kotlin, and Swift. Version 0.3 is available, featuring packages, func declarations, structured concurrency, and a full toolchain including a CLI compiler and VS Code extension.
G# is a modern programming language that runs on the .NET CLR, designed to bring the developer-friendly ergonomics of Go, Kotlin, and Swift to the .NET ecosystem. The language compiles directly to managed assemblies, allowing full interoperability with existing CLR types and libraries while producing standard .NET executables.
Key language features include package-based imports, func declarations, sealed classes, discriminated enums, arrow lambdas, if let nullable handling, and pattern-based switch expressions. Concurrency is a first-class concern: G# supports structured concurrency via a scope construct, async/await over Task[T], async streams via sequence[T], and opt-in channels and goroutines inspired by Go.
The language uses width-bearing numeric primitives such as int32, uint64, and float64 to make value sizes explicit. Tooling includes a command-line compiler (gsc), an MSBuild SDK, a VS Code extension with a language server, and Portable PDB debugging support. A complete language specification, tutorials, and an 'Effective G#' idioms guide are also provided. The project is currently at version 0.3 and is hosted on GitHub under The G# Authors.