Announcing Pharo 14

Greetings to all Pharo enthusiasts and advocates of dynamic languages: Pharo version 14 has officially arrived!

Pharo is a purely object-oriented programming language and a robust environment designed with a focus on simplicity and instantaneous feedback.

A Language of Elegance and Power

Pharo strips away the boilerplate. Imagine a language where you don't have to deal with:

• Constructors
• Type declarations
• Interfaces
• Primitive types

The result is a sophisticated yet lean syntax so compact it could practically fit on a postcard. In terms of developer velocity, the feedback loop is essentially: $\text{Feedback} \approx O(1)$

"Example of Pharo's concise nature"
Object subclass: #MyClass
    instanceVariableNames: 'name'
    classVariableNames: ''
    package: 'MyPackage'

An Immersive Development Experience

Pharo provides a live environment, meaning you get immediate responses during every phase of the lifecycle: developing, testing, and debugging.

Even when your code is running in production, the traditional "compile-and-deploy" bottleneck is eliminated. Furthermore, the debugging suite is unparalleled. You can:

1. Step through active code.
2. Restart method execution.
3. Define new methods on the fly to fix bugs in real-time.

Community-Driven and Open

Pharo belongs to its users. It is built by a passionate global community, with hundreds of contributors providing libraries and frameworks.

• License: Fully open-source under the MIT License.
• Source: Available on GitHub.

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The Core Focus of Pharo 14

This release concentrated on three primary pillars of improvement:

1. Tooling Modernization

We are continuing the transition to the Spec-based tooling stack. Key changes include:

• Introduction of Mission Control.
• Launch of Pulse (which replaces Spotter).
• A complete overhaul of the Method Browser.
• A total rewrite of the Settings Browser.
• Integration of Epicea and ProfStef into the NewTools suite.

2. Command-Line & Refactoring

We have shifted refactoring commands to a driver-based architecture managed by a unified registry. We also expanded CLI capabilities:

• command-line testing
• command-line debugger
• Sindarin script tooling

3. System & VM Enhancements

The underlying engine received significant upgrades:

• Execution: Unified frames and stack management for a cleaner interpreter.
• Hardware: Added RISC-V JIT support to future-proof the platform.
• Memory: Improved GC and direct old-space allocation.
• Compilation: Advanced Slang/C translation and modernized build infrastructure.

📅 Schedule Update

Please note that we have shifted our annual release window: Spring (March–May) $\rightarrow$ Fall (September–November). Pharo 14 is the inaugural release under this new timeline.

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Detailed Version Highlights

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The Effort Behind the Release

This version is the culmination of 978 Pull Requests merged into the primary Pharo repository. Additionally, significant work occurred across these vital separate projects:

• NewTools & Spec (Tooling)
• Iceberg (VCS)
• Roassal (Graphics)
• Microdown & BeautifulComments (Markup)
• pharo-vm (Virtual Machine)

Our Contributors

Pharo is yours. It exists because of the invaluable contributions of our global community—those who report bugs, submit PRs, and engage in discussions.

Pharo is coordinated by the Pharo Consortium and receives critical support from:

• Inria
• RMOD
• CNRS
• UDL
• Cristal ...and many others.

Quick Links:

• Explore: pharo.org/features
• Get it: pharo.org/download
• Learn: pharo.org/documentation

Published: 26 October 2026