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Contributing

Maxon is free and open source, dual-licensed under MIT and Apache-2.0. It was written by AI, but it’s built in the open — and contributions are welcome, whether that’s a bug report, a patch to the compiler, a documentation fix, or a real program written in the language.

Everything lives in one repository: github.com/Stormalong/maxon.

Ways to contribute

Report a bug

Found a miscompile, a crash, a confusing diagnostic, or a place where the docs and the compiler disagree? Open an issue on the issue tracker. A good report includes:

  • A minimal .maxon program that reproduces the problem.
  • What you expected to happen, and what actually happened (exact output or error code).
  • Your platform (Windows / Linux) and how you built the compiler.

The smaller the reproduction, the faster it can be fixed — Maxon’s whole philosophy is that code should be easy to read, and that applies to bug reports too.

Improve the compiler or standard library

The compiler (a native x86-64 backend), the language server, and the standard library are all open. Patches that fix bugs, improve diagnostics, or extend the standard library are welcome. Open an issue first for anything non-trivial so the approach can be discussed before you invest the work, then send a pull request.

Improve the docs and examples

Documentation and examples are some of the highest-leverage contributions, because a language designed to be read lives or dies on how well it’s explained. Typo fixes, clearer explanations, and new example programs are all valuable. Examples should be real, compilable .maxon files.

Write something in Maxon

The most useful thing you can do is build something real. Writing actual programs surfaces the rough edges no test suite will, and shapes where the language goes next. Share what you build — report what felt awkward, what was missing, and what worked.

The development loop

Maxon builds from source. See Installation for the full prerequisites; the short version, once you have them:

Terminal window
git clone https://github.com/Stormalong/maxon.git
cd maxon


dotnet build maxon-sharp     # build the compiler -> bin/maxon
bin/maxon spec-test          # run the full spec-test suite

On Windows, buildall.bat builds and tests the full toolchain — the C# compiler, the self-hosted compiler, and their spec tests — in one step.

Tests

Maxon’s tests are organized as spec files: each language feature has a single source of truth in the specs/ directory that holds the feature’s documentation and its executable test cases together. When you change behavior, update or add the relevant spec, and make sure bin/maxon spec-test passes before opening a pull request.

Pull requests

  • Open an issue first for anything beyond a small fix, so the design can be agreed on.
  • Keep changes focused — one logical change per pull request.
  • Make sure the compiler builds cleanly and bin/maxon spec-test passes.
  • Match the style of the surrounding code; Maxon favors explicit, readable code over clever or terse code, in the compiler as much as in the language.

By contributing, you agree that your contributions are dual-licensed under MIT and Apache-2.0, the same terms as the project.