Vala

What Vala is

Vala is a programming language for native application development. It compiles to C and produces native binaries, with no separate runtime environment required for execution. The language uses reference counting for automatic memory management and includes type inference, null safety, generics, lambdas, and async/await. It works with GObject-based C libraries through binding files and can also call C functions directly. Its integration with the GObject type system and GNOME platform includes first-class GTK support. Developers can use Vala for graphical applications, command-line programs, libraries, and services. The project highlights GTK, Libadwaita, and Granite for GUI development and says apps can be published on Flathub. Vala libraries provide C header files and use GObject; the compiler generates GObject Introspection metadata for supported language bindings. The project lists Vala 0.56.17 as stable long-term support and the main branch as development. Vala is made by the Vala Community, which points users to GNOME Discourse, a Vala Matrix channel, and community Discord for discussion. It is open source and runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Who it suits

Vala suits developers building native applications, especially those working with GObject, GNOME, or GTK. It can also be used for command-line programs, libraries, and services.

Getting started

1. Visit the Vala website
2. Choose the Stable Long-term Support version 0.56.17 or the Development main branch
3. Use Vala on Linux, macOS or Windows
4. For GUI development, explore GTK, Libadwaita or Granite
5. For questions, use GNOME Discourse, the Vala Matrix channel or community Discord

Verdict

Vala combines native compilation with GObject and GTK integration. Its listed stable long-term support version is 0.56.17, while the main branch remains under development.