LOLCODE

Description #

LOLCODE is a humorous esoteric programming language that mimics the spelling and grammar of “LOLspeak” — the internet slang made popular by memes like “I Can Has Cheezburger?” It was created as a parody but is fully functional, with its own syntax and interpreter.

History #

LOLCODE was created by Adam Lindsay in 2007 as a joke language designed to look like how cats might program if they spoke in memes. Despite its meme-based origins, LOLCODE gained a community of users and has functional interpreters available across platforms.

Hello World Code #

HAI 1.2
VISIBLE "Hello, World!"
KTHXBYE

How to Run #

Option 1: Online

• Try It Online – LOLCODE
• LOLCODE on Replit

Option 2: Local

1. Install an interpreter (e.g., lci):

git clone https://github.com/justinmeza/lci.git
cd lci
cmake .
make

Run the code:

./lci hello.lol

Key Concepts #

• LOLspeak-style syntax
• Uses keywords like HAI, VISIBLE, KTHXBYE
• Dynamically typed
• Basic I/O, variables, loops, and conditionals
• Parody-driven semantics
• Human-readable logic (if you’re a meme-lover)
• Simple string and math operations
• Language versioning (e.g., HAI 1.2)
• Case-insensitive syntax
• Community-driven extensions

Try It Online #

• TIO – LOLCODE
• Replit – LOLCODE

Fun Facts #

• “VISIBLE” is the command to print output.
• All programs must start with HAI and end with KTHXBYE.
• LOLCODE is taught in some computer science novelty courses.

Resources #

• LOLCODE Specification
• GitHub – lci Interpreter
• LOLCODE on TIO
• LOLCODE Examples