February 16, 2026
OK boomer? OK compiler!
PascalABC.net
From 'grandpa code' to campus crush—devs split on PascalABC.NET and its free Windows/Linux IDE
TLDR: PascalABC.NET revives Pascal with a free, beginner‑friendly IDE and modern .NET features aimed at education. The crowd is split between warm nostalgia (and Delphi love) for a cross‑platform, speedy teaching tool and skeptics asking “why not Python?”, turning a schoolroom language into today’s hottest hallway debate.
Pascal is doing a surprise comeback tour and the comments are vibing hard. The pitch: PascalABC.NET is a modern twist on the classic teaching language, with a free, friendly IDE (that’s an all-in-one coding app) and a .NET engine under the hood. Fans say it’s simple, fast, and perfect for schools—with cute extras like Robot/Drawman units and a built-in taskbook. Skeptics? They’re asking the eternal question: why Pascal in 2026 when everyone teaches Python?
The top mood is nostalgia colliding with practicality. One commenter shrugged “no burning desire for Pascal,” but perked up at the promise of a RAD (rapid app dev) experience that runs on both Windows and Linux—Delphi flashbacks included. Meanwhile, jokesters dubbed it the “glow-up of a grandpa language,” and memed “OK boomer? More like OK compiler.” Others rolled eyes at the name-drop of the TIOBE index (“rankings aren’t a syllabus, folks”) and debated whether a .NET-powered Pascal is a teaching toy or a legit daily driver for quick console tools.
Educators chimed in (loudly): a clean, readable language with modern goodies—generics, lambdas, LINQ, and garbage collection—could help beginners learn real concepts without browser chaos. And yes, the project’s big footprint in Russian schools sparked the “global or niche?” debate. Either way, the back-to-school Pascal drama is officially in session. For background, see Pascal and .NET.
Key Points
- •PascalABC.NET is a free, modern Pascal language and IDE built on .NET, aimed at education and general-purpose programming.
- •It supports multiple paradigms and adds modern features like generics, lambdas, sequences, and LINQ, with syntax conveniences such as foreach and type inference.
- •The system provides built-in graphics units and an educational suite, including Robot, Drawman, and a taskbook with 1,100+ exercises and auto-checking.
- •It delivers efficient compiled .NET code, high compatibility with Delphi (Object Pascal), and full .NET library access.
- •A cross-platform command-line compiler supports Windows (.NET) and Linux (Mono); the project is developed at Southern Federal University and distributed under LGPLv3.