Alpha Language

Language support for Alpha, a functional, equational language for describing array computations used in polyhedral compilation — a technique compilers use to analyze and transform loop-heavy numerical code (think dense linear algebra, stencils, and other array-based kernels) for optimization and parallelization. Alpha programs express what a computation is, as systems of equations over polyhedral domains, rather than how to loop over it; a compiler like alphac turns that specification into ordinary C.

This extension provides editor support for .alpha files:

• Syntax highlighting, so Alpha source is readable at a glance.
• Live diagnostics — parse errors, unresolved names, domain and uniqueness violations, and other correctness checks — reported directly in the editor as you type, powered by the same analysis engine used by the alphac compiler itself.

No separate language server or external process is required; the checks run in-process, so feedback appears immediately after opening, editing, or saving a file.

Learn more

For the language itself, the compiler, and the project's source, see the alpha-rs repository.