Morloc
Make the function, not the application, the unit of composition
Morloc composes functions across languages under a common type system
and transforms modules into rich CLIs, APIs, and MCPs.
Write ordinary code in ordinary languages, source it into a Morloc script, and
provide a type. These functions are then first class citizens. They can be used
freely within a rich functional language. The Morloc compiler generates the CLI,
API, MCP model, and usage statements from the types and declarative docstring
instructions.
Install
Morloc runs natively on Linux, macOS (new ARM chips), and Windows WSL.
Run this to install the Morloc Installation Manager (mim):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/morloc-project/morloc-manager/main/scripts/install.sh | sh
mim new # bulid the environment
mim shell # drop into a shell
mim demo # pull cool morloc demos
The build is native by default, add the --engine docker flag to build in a
container (or podman or apptainer). The environment automatically handles
dependencies for Morloc builds via the Pixi package manager. See the manual
section Getting Started for more info.
You may freeze Morloc environments into Docker images with mim freeze.
An example
Two functions, in two languages, neither aware of the other. A C++ sum:
// foo.hpp
#pragma once
#include <vector>
double sum(const std::vector<double>& vec) {
double sum = 0.0;
for (double value : vec) {
sum += value;
}
return sum;
}
and a parallel map in Python:
# foo.py
import multiprocessing as mp
def pmap(f, xs):
with mp.Pool() as pool:
results = pool.map(f, xs)
return results
Neither file imports anything from Morloc. The Morloc module gives each a type
and composes them:
-- sums.loc
module m (sum, sumOfSums)
import root-py
import root-cpp
source Py from "foo.py" ("pmap")
source Cpp from "foo.hpp" ("sum")
pmap :: (a -> b) -> [a] -> [b]
--' Add up a list of numbers
sum :: [Real] -> Real
--' Add up a list of lists, summing each in parallel
sumOfSums :: [[Real]] -> Real
sumOfSums = sum . pmap sum
. is function composition, so sumOfSums reads right to left: pmap sum sums
each inner list in parallel, and the outer sum adds the results.
$ morloc make sums.loc
$ ./sums sumOfSums '[[1,2],[3,4,5]]'
15
A Python function called a C++ function across a process boundary, and you
wrote no binding, no serializer, and no argument parser.
Free stuff that the compiler generates based on the type
Building the program creats a CLI tool from the given types and docstrings:
$ ./sums -h
Usage: ./sums <nexus_options> <command> <command_options>
Commands:
sum Add up a list of numbers
sumOfSums Add up a list of lists, summing each in parallel
General Options:
-h, --help Print help; -hh adds details and examples, -hhh adds schemas
(nexus options: -h @)
./sums sum -h goes further and prints the argument types the compiler derived.
It can also serve as an MCP server (./sums --mcp-tools emits JSON Schema tool
definitions), an HTTP, TCP, and Unix-socket service, and a module that another
Morloc module can import and re-export. None of these are separate builds or a
separate descriptions, so none of them can drift from the functions: changing
a return type changes all interfaces.
Where the project stands
Morloc has been in development for about ten years and is in beta. I use it for
my own work and am currently trying to build a community.
The test suite is massive and growing, but many bugs remain. The core feature is
slowly stabilizing, but I still make regular backwards incompatible changes. Play
with the cutting edge and you might bleed. Track your blood over here:
issue tracker.
Getting involved
The hard part is finished. The ongoing work is the long tail of bug fixes and
ecosystem development. That is where I need people. Here's what I'm looking for:
- Report what breaks. Try it out, tell me what breaks
- Write a module. Take something you already maintain, give it types, and
share it. I would be happy to collaborate.
- Fix the editor tooling. Add support for your favorite editor.
- Bring a language. Every new language brings fun design questions, I would
be happy to work with you in bringing your language into the Morloc ecosystem.
- Tell me the right way to build a type system. There is a lot of theory to
hash through and I've half-assed more than half of it. If you're a theorist,
I'd love to hear from you. There's a paper or two buried somewhere in all of
this.
If you are interested in playing with Morloc (or want to drown my in money),
feel free to contact me at [email protected].
License
Apache 2.0. See LICENSE.
Morloc 是一个强类型的多语言编译器:它用一套统一的类型系统把不同语言写的函数组合在一起,并把每个模块变成一个 CLI、一个 API 和一个 MCP 服务器。