Ring Programming Language: A Hidden Gem Shaping the Future of Software Development in the Age of AI‑Assisted Programming

How a discontinued legacy sparked a modern language built to last for decades — Ring emerged after Microsoft canceled Visual FoxPro.

The Ring programming language is rapidly emerging as one of the most distinctive and forward‑thinking technologies in today’s programming landscape. Designed and created by Mahmoud Samir Fayed, a researcher and developer known for his long‑term vision and contributions to visual programming, Ring stands out as a rare blend of simplicity, power, and longevity. It is not just another language—it is a response to a historical moment in the software industry and a foundation for the next generation of development tools.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to contribute to improving the Ring programming language. It has a well‑designed, easy‑to‑understand architecture, and I believe it has great potential ahead.”

— Mounir IDRASSI (Creator of VeraCrypt)

When Microsoft discontinued Visual FoxPro, it marked the end of a tool that shaped an entire generation of developers. Visual FoxPro’s clarity, speed, and productivity influenced many projects—including the first version of PWCT (Programming Without Coding Technology), originally written in Visual FoxPro. Its cancellation highlighted a recurring pattern: great languages such as Clipper, Classic Visual Basic, and Visual FoxPro eventually stop receiving updates, even if communities continue using them. This moment became a catalyst. As PWCT grew, it needed a long‑term foundation that would not face the same fate. That realization led to the creation of Ring, a modern language designed to last for decades. Ring is designed for longevity, clarity, and freedom. The language is a free, open‑source, portable, and intentionally small—a design choice that ensures developers can fully understand, extend, and maintain it. Its architecture, memory management, threading model, and data‑type system were all crafted to keep the language clear, maintainable, and future‑ready. Ring runs on platforms ranging from MS‑DOS to WebAssembly, reflecting a commitment to long‑term accessibility and technological resilience.

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Ring’s key characteristics include its multi‑paradigm support—covering imperative, procedural, object‑oriented, functional, declarative, meta‑programming, and even natural language programming—along with strong embeddability that allows it to be integrated into C/C++ projects or used as a standalone language. It is highly portable, running on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, microcontrollers, and other environments, and it emphasizes simplicity and flexibility, being designed to remain lightweight and easy to learn.

The language is influenced by the best including the Supernova language. Ring draws inspiration from many languages—Lua, Python, Ruby, C, C#, BASIC, QML, xBase, and notably Supernova. Supernova, an innovative language known for its natural language programming capabilities, played a special role. Its influence helped shape Ring’s unique approach to Natural Language Programming, enabling developers to write code that feels closer to human expression. Supernova’s philosophy of readability and accessibility aligns closely with Ring’s mission, and its ideas helped make Ring one of the few modern languages that natively support natural language constructs.

Mahmoud Samir Fayed’s work spans programming languages, visual programming environments, and research in software engineering. His GitHub profile highlights his leadership in developing both Ring and PWCT2, as well as his passion for creating tools that make programming more intuitive and accessible. His vision is clear: programming should be fast, simple, and open to everyone—not just experts. He developed a foundation for the next generation of visual programming. In 2023, PWCT2 launched on Steam, powered entirely by the Ring programming language. PWCT2 represents a unified ecosystem where the language and the visual environment share the same philosophy: simplicity, speed, and accessibility. This integration delivers a more intuitive workflow, better performance, a long-term platform for developers and educators, and a modern environment built for the decades ahead. Ring’s design made it the ideal foundation for this new generation of visual programming tools.

Although still considered a hidden gem in the programming world, Ring is steadily gaining recognition among developers, educators, and researchers. Its combination of clarity, portability, and innovative features—especially natural language programming—sets it apart from mainstream languages.
Ring is not just a response to the end of Visual FoxPro; it is the beginning of a new chapter. It preserves the spirit of fast, intuitive development while introducing modern capabilities that prepare it for the future. Visual FoxPro’s cancellation closed one chapter, but it also inspired a new one. Ring and PWCT2 continue that legacy with a commitment to keeping programming fast, simple, and open to everyone.

In an age where LLMs and AI‑assisted programming are transforming how software is written, developing a language like Ring remains deeply important. AI can generate code, but the target language determines how readable, maintainable, and meaningful that code becomes. Ring’s natural‑language programming features give it a unique advantage: AI‑generated Ring code can be remarkably close to plain English, making the output easier to understand, review, and evolve. This synergy becomes even more powerful with PWCT2, which can import the generated Ring source code and convert it into visual programming structures. Developers and learners can then study, refine, and extend AI‑generated programs through an intuitive visual workflow. Rather than replacing programming languages, AI highlights the need for languages like Ring—languages designed for clarity, longevity, and human‑friendly expression.

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