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content-type: "page"
title: "Get Started"
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{@ _defs_.md || 0 @}


You can download one of the following pre-built min binaries:

* {#release||{{$version}}||macosx||macOS||x64#} <small>[{#lite-release||{{$version}}||macosx||macOS||x64#}, {#mini-release||{{$version}}||macosx||macOS||x64#}]</small>
* {#release||{{$version}}||windows||Windows||x64#} <small>[{#lite-release||{{$version}}||windows||Windows||x64#}, {#mini-release||{{$version}}||windows||Windows||x64#}]</small>
* {#release||{{$version}}||linux||Linux||x64#} <small>[{#lite-release||{{$version}}||linux||Linux||x64#}, {#mini-release||{{$version}}||linux||Linux||x64#}]</small>

{#release -> [min v$1 for $3 ($4)](https://github.com/h3rald/min/releases/download/v$1/min\_v$1\_$2\_$4.zip) #}
{#lite-release -> [lite](https://github.com/h3rald/min/releases/download/v$1/litemin\_v$1\_$2\_$4.zip) #}
{#mini-release -> [mini](https://github.com/h3rald/min/releases/download/v$1/minimin\_v$1\_$2\_$4.zip) #}

{{guide-download}}

## Building from Source

Alternatively, you can build min from source in one of the following ways:

### Using nimble

If you already installed [nim](https://nim-lang.org), you probably already have the [nimble](https://github.com/nim-lang/nimble) package manager installed.

If that's the case, simply run **nimble install min**. This will actually install and run [nifty](https://github.com/h3rald/nifty) which will download min dependencies for you before compiling. 

### Without using nimble

1. Download and install [nim](https://nim-lang.org).
2. Download and build [nifty](https://github.com/h3rald/nifty), and put the nifty executable somewhere in your [$PATH](class:kwd).
3. Clone the min [repository](https://github.com/h3rald/min).
4. Navigate to the min repository local folder.
5. Run **nifty install** to download min’s dependencies.
7. Run **nim c -d:release min.nim**.

### Additional build options

#### -d:ssl

If the **-d:ssl** flag is specified when compiling, min will be built with SSL support, so it will be possible to:
* perform HTTPS requests with the {#link-module||http#}.
* use the cryptographic symbols defined in the {#link-module||crypto#}.

> %note%
> Note
> 
> By default, this flag is enabled when compiling the executable files included with official releases.

#### -d:lite

If the **d:lite** flag is specified, a more minimal executable file will be generated (typically, it should be called "litemin"), however the following functionalities will not be available:

* The {#link-module||crypto#}
* The {#link-module||net#}
* The {#link-module||http#}
* The {#link-module||math#}
* The {#link-operator||sys||zip#} and {#link-operator||sys||unzip#} operators.

#### -d:mini

If the **d:mini** flag is specified, an even more minimal executable file will be generated (typically, it should be called "minimin"), however the following functionalities will not be available:

* The {#link-module||crypto#}
* The {#link-module||net#}
* The {#link-module||http#}
* The {#link-module||math#}
* The {#link-module||io#}
* The {#link-module||fs#}
* The {#link-module||sys#}
* The following operators:
  * {#link-operator||lang||load#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||require#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||read#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||to-json#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||from-json#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||raw-args#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||save-symbol#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||load-symbol#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||saved-symbol#}
  * {#link-operator||lang||loaded-symbol#}
  * {#link-operator||str||search#}
  * {#link-operator||str||match#}
  * {#link-operator||str||replace#}
  * {#link-operator||str||regex#}
  * {#link-operator||str||semver?#}
  * {#link-operator||str||from-semver#}
  * {#link-operator||str||parse-url#}
  * {#link-operator||str||decode-url#}
  * {#link-operator||str||encode-url#}
  * {#link-operator||sys||zip#}
  * {#link-operator||sys||unzip#}

Additionally:

* No checks will be performed when defining symbols.
* Only the simple REPL will be available.
* There will be no support for dynamic libraries.
* The **-m, \-\-module-path** and **-a, \-\-asset-path** options have no effect.
* No environment configuration files ([.minrc](class:file), [.min_symbols](class:file)) are used.

## Running the min Shell

To start min shell, run [min -i](class:cmd). You will be presented with a prompt displaying the path to the current directory:

> %min-terminal%
> [[/Users/h3rald/test]$](class:prompt)

You can type min code and press [ENTER](class:kbd) to evaluate it immediately:

> %min-terminal%
> [[/Users/h3rald/test]$](class:prompt) 2 2 +
>  4 
> [[/Users/h3rald/test]$](class:prompt)

The result of each operation will be placed on top of the stack, and it will be available to subsequent operation

> %min-terminal%
> [[/Users/h3rald/test]$](class:prompt) dup *
>  16
> [[/Users/h3rald/test]$](class:prompt)

To exit min shell, press [CTRL+C](class:kbd) or type [0 exit](class:cmd) and press [ENTER](class:kbd).

> %tip%
> Tip
> 
> By default, the min shell provides advanced features like tab-completion, history, etc. If however, you run into problems, you can disable these features by running [min -j](class:cmd) instead, and run min shell with a bare-bones REPL. 

## Executing a min Program

To execute a min script, you can:

* Run `min -e:"... program ..."` to execute a program inline.
* Run `min myfile.min` to execute a program contained in a file.

min also supports running programs from standard input, so the following command can also be used (on Unix-like system) to run a program saved in [myfile.min](class:file):

> %min-terminal%
> 
> [$](class:prompt) cat myfile.min | min

## Compiling a min Program

min programs can be compiled to a single executable simply by specifying the `-c` (or `--compile`) flag when executing a min file:

> %min-terminal%
> 
> [$](class:prompt) min -c myfile.min

Essentially, this will:

1. Generate a [myfile.nim](class:file) containing the equivalent Nim code of your min program.
2. Call the Nim compiler to do the rest ;)

If you want to pass any options to the Nim compiler (like `-d:release` for example) you can do so by using the `-n` (or `--passN`) option:

> %min-terminal%
> 
> [$](class:prompt) min -c myfile.min -n:-d:release

Additionally, you can also use `-m:<path>` (or `--module-path`) to specify one path containing [.min](class:ext) files which will be compiled as well (but not executed) along with the specified file. Whenever a {#link-operator||lang||load#} symbol is used to load an external [.min](class:ext) file, it will attempt to load from the pre-loaded files first before searching the filesystem.

For example, the following command executed in the root folder of the min project will compile [run.min](class:file) along with all [.min](class:ext) files included in the [task](class:dir) and its subfolders:

> %min-terminal%
> 
> [$](class:prompt) min -c run.min -m:tasks

Similarly, you can also bundle additional files in the executable by specifying the `-a:<path>` (or `--asset-path`) option. At runtime, the compiled min program will attempt to lookup bundled asset files before checking the filesystem.

> %note%
> Note
> 
> In order to successfully compile [.min](class.ext) files, Nim must be installed on your system and min must be installed via nimble.

## Syntax Highlighting

* If you are using [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/), you can install the official [min extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=h3rald.vscode-min-lang) which provides syntax highlighting support, code folding, and auto-indentation.
* If you are using [Vim](https://www.vim.org), a [min.vim](https://github.com/h3rald/min/blob/master/min.vim) syntax definition file is available in the min repo.
* If you are using [Sublime Text 3](https://www.sublimetext.com/3), Rafael Carrasco created a min syntax definition file that is available [here](https://github.com/rscarrasco/min-sublime-syntax).