What is Prolog written in?
Prolog is a programming language that uses first order logic, first released in 1972.
Implementation
| Layer | Written in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Compiler | Fortran (since 1972) | First Prolog interpreter (1972) written in Fortran by Gerard Battani and Henri Meloni at Aix-Marseille |
Compiler implementation
The Prolog compiler, written in Fortran, translates Prolog source code into an executable or intermediate format. The choice of implementation language affects the compiler's portability, build-time dependencies, and the path toward Prolog eventually becoming self-hosting.
Many language compilers are written in C or C++ for maximum portability and performance. When a compiler is written in a higher-level language, it can leverage that language's abstractions for clearer compiler code, at the cost of a longer bootstrap dependency chain.
Explore in the Graph
See Prolog's full lineage, including all implementation and influence relationships, in the interactive graph.
Open Interactive Graph →Or view the Prolog language page for the complete record.