Quick Start Guide

Start Building with Clean Language

Everything you need to install Clean Language and create your first program.

System Requirements

macOS

macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. Intel and Apple Silicon supported.

Linux

Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 36+, or any modern distribution with glibc 2.31+.

Windows

Windows 10 or later with PowerShell 5.1+. WSL2 also supported.

Step 1: Install Clean Language

Choose your preferred installation method below.

VS Code / Cursor Extension (Easiest)

Install the Clean Language extension and it will guide you through the entire setup, including compiler installation.

Install Extension

Using the Command Line

macOS / Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ivan-Pasco/clean-language-manager/main/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell)

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ivan-Pasco/clean-language-manager/main/install.ps1 | iex

Verify Installation

Check version

cln --version

Step 2: Create Your First Program

Write a simple Clean Language program to verify your setup.

Create a New Project

Terminal

mkdir my-project
cd my-project
cln init

Write Your Code

Create a file named hello.cln with the following content:

hello.cln

start:
    string message = greet("Clean Language")
    print(message)

    integer result = add(5, 3)
    print("5 + 3 = " + result.toString())

functions:
    string greet(string name)
        return "Hello, {name}!"

    integer add(integer a, integer b)
        return a + b

Compile and Run

Terminal

# Compile to WebAssembly
cln compile -o hello.wasm hello.cln

# Run with clean runtime
cln run hello.wasm

Expected Output

Output

Hello, Clean Language!
5 + 3 = 8

Step 3: Learn the Basics

Explore fundamental concepts and start building real applications.

Variables & Types

Learn about Clean's powerful type system, type inference, and how to declare variables safely.

View Syntax →

Functions

Understand how to write functions, work with parameters, return values, and organize reusable code.

What's Next?

Syntax Catalog

Browse the complete syntax reference with examples for every language feature.

Explore Syntax

Learning Modules

Follow structured tutorials from beginner to advanced topics.

Start Learning

Documentation

Read the comprehensive documentation, guides, and API reference.

Read Docs

Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to resolve them

cln: command not found

The Clean Language binary isn't in your PATH. Run the installer again or add it manually:

terminal

export PATH="$HOME/.cleen/bin:$PATH"

Permission denied

The installer needs write access to ~/.cleen. Fix permissions:

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