Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Vala VS Squirrel (programming language)

Compare Vala VS Squirrel (programming language) and see what are their differences

Vala logo Vala

Vala is a new programming language that aims to bring modern programming language features to GNOME...

Squirrel (programming language) logo Squirrel (programming language)

Squirrel is a high level imperative, object-oriented programming language, designed to be a light-weight scripting language that fits in the size, memory bandwidth, and real-time requirements of applications like video games.
  • Vala Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-21

We recommend LibHunt Vala for discovery and comparisons of trending Vala projects.

  • Squirrel (programming language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-07

Vala features and specs

  • C-like Performance
    Vala compiles to C, which allows it to have performance characteristics similar to traditional C programs, providing efficient execution.
  • GObject Integration
    Vala is designed to work seamlessly with the GObject type system used in GNOME, making it a strong choice for GNOME application development.
  • Modern Syntax
    Vala features a modern and clean syntax similar to C# and Java, making it accessible to developers familiar with these languages.
  • Automatic Memory Management
    Vala provides memory management with reference counting and automatic cleanup, reducing the overhead associated with manual memory management.
  • Native Code Generation
    Since Vala compiles down to C, it can leverage existing C toolchains and produce native code without requiring an interpreter or VM.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    Developers can leverage a rich set of GObject-based libraries available in the GNOME ecosystem, enhancing productivity and functionality.

Possible disadvantages of Vala

  • Small Community
    Vala has a relatively small user community, which can result in limited resources, support, and documentation compared to more popular languages.
  • Error Prone Bindings
    Generating and maintaining Vala bindings for C libraries can sometimes be error-prone, potentially leading to runtime issues.
  • Limited Tooling
    Compared to more mainstream languages, Vala's tooling (IDEs, debuggers, etc.) can be limited, which might slow down development.
  • Language Specific Limits
    Some language features available in more mainstream languages might be missing or limited in Vala, reducing its appeal for certain applications.
  • Dependence on C Libraries
    Vala development often involves interfacing with C libraries, which can require a solid understanding of C and GObject, adding complexity.

Squirrel (programming language) features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Squirrel is designed to be a lightweight scripting language, making it ideal for applications where memory and processing power are limited, such as video games and embedded systems.
  • Embeddable
    The language is easily embeddable in C++ programs, allowing integration into a wide variety of applications without significant overhead.
  • Object-Oriented
    Squirrel supports object-oriented programming, which helps in organizing code and improves reusability and scalability of scripts.
  • Dynamic Typing
    As a dynamically typed language, Squirrel allows more flexible coding patterns and faster prototyping, as variable types do not need to be explicitly defined.
  • Coroutines Support
    Squirrel includes support for coroutines, facilitating asynchronous programming and simplifying the management of concurrent tasks.

Possible disadvantages of Squirrel (programming language)

  • Limited Libraries
    The language has a smaller ecosystem compared to more popular scripting languages like Python or Lua, limiting the available libraries and tools.
  • Niche Usage
    Squirrel is not as widely used or well-known as some other scripting languages, which can make finding community support or developers familiar with it more challenging.
  • Performance
    While adequate for most scripting needs, Squirrel may not deliver performance on par with statically typed languages or languages specifically optimized for performance.
  • Learning Curve
    For developers not familiar with C-style syntax or the language’s unique features, there can be a learning curve involved in becoming proficient.
  • Documentation
    The quality and quantity of documentation available for Squirrel is limited compared to more mainstream languages, potentially slowing down development.

Vala videos

Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse Review (VALA)

More videos:

  • Review - Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse (VALA) Xbox One X Review - Twin Stick Llama
  • Review - Steve Madden VALA PUMPS review

Squirrel (programming language) videos

No Squirrel (programming language) videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Vala and Squirrel (programming language))
Programming Language
51 51%
49% 49
OOP
52 52%
48% 48
Generic Programming Language
Development
47 47%
53% 53

User comments

Share your experience with using Vala and Squirrel (programming language). For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Squirrel (programming language) seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Vala mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Vala yet. Tracking of Vala recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Squirrel (programming language) mentions (2)

  • oh, so you think you're controversial?
    Squirrel would like to have a word with this comment. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Generics can make your Go code slower
    * https://v8docs.nodesource.com/node-7.10/d5/dda/classv8_1_1_isolate.html#a24647f61d6b41f69668094bdcd6ea91f A project I worked on had a few points where it had to explicitly call GC multiple times back to back. Intertwined references from C++ -> Squirrel[1] -> C++ -> Squirrel meant the first GC would finalize some C++ objects, which would unroot some Squirrel objects, which would allow some more C++ objects fo be... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Vala and Squirrel (programming language), you can also consider the following products

Go Programming Language - Go, also called golang, is a programming language initially developed at Google in 2007 by Robert...

IronPython - Development

C++ - Has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing the facilities for low level memory manipulation

D (Programming Language) - D is a language with C-like syntax and static typing.

Pike programming language - Dynamic programming language with a syntax similar to Java and C

Perl - Highly capable, feature-rich programming language with over 26 years of development