L in brief - The L Documentation

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1.1 L in brief

L is:

A compiled language with a C-like syntax, and Lisp-like macros.
It is an extensible programming language : even the syntax is modifiable at run-time.
It is a mostly-safe language, with strong typing and encouraged confinement of dangerous constructs.
Finally, thanks to extensibility, L is an universal language: it can be used both for low-level and system programming than for creating complex high-level applications. Using certain set of predefined modules, it could even be used as a scripting language.

So, L can be seen both as:

C with stronger typing + extensible compiler support (macros, parser, expanders) + fully expression-based.
or Lisp with low-level capabilities, static typing, support for custom syntaxes, and type-aware macros.

Hence the name, L: L combines C and Lisp.

But L is not just a combinaison of two languages: it a language of its own. Just like Lisp and C are both defined by a just a small number of specific characteristics, L's features make it unique.