What is Perl written in?
The Perl runtime is written in C.
Perl is an interpreted programming language first released in 1987, first released in 1987.
Implementation
| Layer | Written in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | C (since 1987) | Perl interpreter written in C |
Runtime model
The Perl runtime, written in C, manages the execution of Perl programs. Runtime-based languages rely on a host process to interpret or compile code at runtime rather than compiling entirely ahead-of-time to native machine code. This means running Perl programs requires the runtime to be present on the target system.
The choice of C for the runtime gives Perl access to native performance, established platform abstractions, and existing ecosystem libraries.
Explore in the Graph
See Perl's full lineage, including all implementation and influence relationships, in the interactive graph.
Open Interactive Graph →Or view the Perl language page for the complete record.