icon
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Description:
General-purpose programming language
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 9.5.25a@0  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: programming-language icon text-processing development compiler
Install: brew install icon
About:
Icon is a high-level, general-purpose programming language with a syntax similar to SNOBOL and C. It features string scanning as a core paradigm for powerful pattern matching and text processing. The language is designed for rapid development of applications that involve complex data manipulation and symbolic processing.
Key Features:
  • String scanning and goal-directed evaluation
  • Generators and co-expressions for control flow
  • Rich set of built-in data types and functions
  • Dynamic memory management
Use Cases:
  • Text processing and parsing
  • Rapid prototyping of algorithms
  • Educational purposes in computer science
Alternatives:
  • Python – More widely used with extensive libraries, but lacks Icon's unique string scanning paradigm
  • Perl – Similar text processing focus but with different syntax and regular expression approach
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 11, 2025 10:16am 9.5.25a 0 VERSION_BUMP 642f5600