Zixir — AI automation language

Zixir

AI automation language — three-tier runtime (Elixir + Zig + Python) for agentic coding and ML workflows. Immutable by design — safer and easier to reason about than languages built around mutable state.

Created and maintained by Leo Louvar · GitHub

git clone https://github.com/Zixir-lang/Zixir.git && cd Zixir && git checkout v7.1.0 && mix deps.get && mix zig.get && mix compile

Quick Start

Clone, build, and run Zixir locally. No cloud sign-up — everything runs on your machine.

1. Clone

Linux / macOS

git clone https://github.com/Zixir-lang/Zixir.git cd Zixir git checkout v7.1.0

Windows (PowerShell)

git clone https://github.com/Zixir-lang/Zixir.git; cd Zixir; git checkout v7.1.0

2. Build

mix deps.get mix zig.get mix compile

3. Run

mix zixir.run examples/hello.zixir
Optional — Web UI: Run mix phx.server and open http://localhost:4000 in your browser for the Zixir dashboard (workflows, AI Playground, vector search, observability). Fully self-hosted; no data leaves your machine.

Web UI & self-hosting

Zixir ships with a local web dashboard. Start it with mix phx.server and open http://localhost:4000. Everything runs on your machine — no SaaS, no account, no data sent elsewhere.

What’s in the dashboard

The UI is part of the same repo. Clone, build, run — you own the full stack. Ideal for local development, air-gapped environments, or teams that want to keep pipelines and data on-premises.

Why Zixir?

One language replaces Airflow + Redis + Prometheus. Built-in orchestration, checkpointing, circuit breakers, and caching — no extra infra. Zixir is an immutable language: variables cannot be reassigned, so code is easier to reason about and less prone to bugs than in many general-purpose languages where mutable state is the default.

Self-hosted by default: Clone the repo, build, and run. The runtime and optional web UI run entirely on your machine. No cloud lock-in, no Redis or K8s required for workflows.

One language

Own grammar and semantics. Write .zixir; runtime is Elixir + Zig + Python.

Three-tier runtime

Elixir orchestrates, Zig runs the engine (NIFs), Python handles ML and data.

Built-in VectorDB

Native in-memory backend plus 9 optional backends (pgvector, Redis, Azure, etc.).

No extra infra

No Redis, K8s, or separate DB for workflows. Elixir runtime only.

Immutable by default

Variables are single-assignment; data doesn’t change in place. A clear improvement over mutable-first languages for correctness and concurrency.

Pattern matching

Native pattern matching and type inference. Unique among workflow tools.

REPL & LSP

Interactive REPL and mix zixir.lsp for VS Code.

The Zixir language

Zixir is its own language — not Elixir syntax. You write .zixir source files with a small, expression-oriented grammar. Zixir is immutable: once you bind a value with let, it cannot be changed — an advantage for reliability and clarity over mutable-by-default languages.

Grammar in brief

How it runs

Source is parsed in Elixir into a Zixir AST. It can be interpreted (Zixir.eval(source) — engine calls run in Zig NIFs, python calls go to Python via a port) or compiled (Zixir.Compiler.compile(source) — type-checks, optimizes, emits Zig; then compile to a native binary or run JIT). Your code stays Zixir-only; the runtime is Elixir + Zig + Python.

let data = [1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0] let total = engine.list_sum(data) let count = data |> length() let label = total |> to_string() |> upper() let user = {"name": "Alice", "score": total} print("User: " ++ user["name"] ++ ", total: " ++ label) # result: "User: Alice, total: 15.0"

Full language spec → LANGUAGE.md

Zixir Language complete guide

Learn the language from zero to real projects. Read the complete guide →

This is what the complete guide shows:

What's inside

Key features

Progressive learning · Every concept explained · 20+ complete examples · 4 real projects · Exercises with solutions · Visual aids · Error handling · AI-focused automation workflows.

Guide statistics

40+ pages · 20+ code examples · 4 major projects · 6 practice exercises per chapter · 25+ built-in functions · 22 engine operations · Pipe operator, modulo, map indexing, type conversions · Complete grammar reference · Quick reference card.

→ Zixir Language complete guide (read on GitHub) · Download (Markdown) · Download PDF

To rebuild the PDF locally: npx md-to-pdf "docs/Zixir Language complete guide.md" then keep the generated Zixir Language complete guide.pdf; or use .\scripts\build-guide-pdf.ps1 (pandoc + LaTeX).

Three-tier runtime

Elixir Orchestrator — concurrency, fault tolerance, supervision
Zig Engine — parsing, math, core ops (NIFs), no GC
Python Specialist — ML, data, APIs via port

Zixir vs. alternatives

Feature Zixir Airflow Prefect
External infrastructureElixir runtime onlyRedis + DBMinimal
Setup time~20 min~2 hours~1 hour
Pattern matchingYesNoNo
Interactive REPLYesNoNo
Fault toleranceSupervision + circuit breakersBasicBasic
LSP supportmix zixir.lspNoNo

Install

Requirements: Elixir 1.14+ / OTP 25+, Zig 0.15+ (build-time), Python 3.8+ (optional, for ML/VectorDB).

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux. See SETUP_GUIDE.md for step-by-step install per OS.

Configure

What's included

Parser, Engine NIFs (20+ Zig ops), Zig backend, type system, workflow (steps, retries, checkpoints), observability, cache (ETS + disk), CLI/REPL, LSP, package manager, VectorDB (9 backends), optional MLIR.

FAQ

Who created Zixir?

Zixir was created and is maintained by Leo Louvar. The project is open source on GitHub (Zixir-lang/Zixir). See CONTRIBUTORS.md and LinkedIn for more.

What is Zixir?

An AI automation language with its own grammar. You write .zixir source; it runs on a three-tier runtime (Elixir + Zig + Python) for agentic and ML workflows.

Is Zixir the same as Elixir?

No. Zixir is its own language (own syntax and semantics). It is implemented using Elixir and compiles to Zig; it is not Elixir syntax.

What do I need to run Zixir?

Elixir 1.14+, Zig 0.15+ (for build), and optionally Python 3.8+ for ML and VectorDB backends.

Where is the full documentation?

Start with docs/INDEX.md and README.md. Releases: Releases.

How do I run the web UI?

After building the project, run mix phx.server. Open http://localhost:4000 in your browser. The dashboard is fully self-hosted; no account or cloud service required.

Can I self-host Zixir without the internet?

Yes. Clone the repo, install Elixir and Zig (and optionally Python) from offline installers, then mix deps.get, mix zig.get, mix compile. The runtime and web UI run entirely locally. No Redis, K8s, or external DB is required for core workflows.