Toolchain · 1986
BEAM VM
Virtual machine that runs bytecode compiled from Erlang and related languages.
Bogdan/Björn's Erlang Abstract Machine.
What is BEAM VM written in?
The BEAM, the Erlang virtual machine, is written in C. It executes bytecode compiled from Erlang and Elixir and provides the Erlang/OTP concurrency runtime.
About BEAM VM
BEAM VM is a virtual machine that runs bytecode compiled from Erlang and related languages.
BEAM VM first appeared in 1986.
Quick Facts
- Short answer
- BEAM is written in C
- Runs
- Erlang and Elixir bytecode
- Model
- Lightweight processes, message passing
- Part of
- Erlang/OTP
The Erlang virtual machine
BEAM is the bytecode interpreter at the heart of the Erlang/OTP system. Written in C, it schedules millions of lightweight processes, isolates their memory, and passes messages between them. Elixir compiles to the same BEAM bytecode, so it inherits the entire Erlang runtime.
Frequently Asked Questions
What language is BEAM VM written in?
BEAM, the Erlang virtual machine, is written in C. It runs bytecode compiled from Erlang and Elixir and implements the lightweight-process concurrency model of Erlang/OTP.
When was BEAM VM first released?
BEAM VM was first released in 1986.
Evidence Sources
- https://github.com/erlang/otp
- https://elixir-lang.org/
- BEAM VM on Wikipedia
- BEAM VM on Wikidata (Q17382855)