faq
short answers, no fine print.
is ember free?
yes. the playground, every example, every lesson and the pc download are all free, with no account needed.
do i need to install anything to try it?
no. the playground runs entirely in your browser — open it and start typing. installing is only for writing code in your own terminal.
how do i run ember in my terminal?
download ember.zip from the download page and run the installer for your system (install.bat on windows, install.sh on macos and linux). you need node.js 18 or newer, once. after that, ember hello.lum runs a program and ember opens the interactive shell.
can i use it in notepad++, vscode or github?
yes. the download kit includes a notepad++ syntax-highlighting file and a github actions starter that runs your .lum files on every push. see the download page for both.
how do i save my programs?
in the playground, your draft is saved on your device automatically and is still there next visit. “save program” stores a snapshot and gives you a link you can share — anyone with the link opens exactly your code. “save .lum” downloads the file to your computer.
what can the language actually do?
variables, functions and closures, if/else as a value, for and while loops, lists, maps, strings, numbers, json reading and writing, sorting, searching and 40-plus built-in functions. the docs list them all with runnable examples.
is it good for beginners?
that is the point. the grammar is small, the errors carry line numbers and plain words, and a runaway loop is stopped for you instead of freezing the page.
who made the penguin?
it is ember's own mascot — a quiet pixel penguin with a spark on its belly, drawn for this language. it is not the mascot of any other operating system.
still stuck? open the playground and try a line — that usually answers it faster than a faq can.