The vml command

vml is the built-in VML program tool. Type it on the Shell page.

Subcommands

vml              show usage
vml test         run the built-in self-test (a few seconds; verifies the environment)
vml run <file>   compile and run
vml make <.vmk>  build from a project file; produces artifacts only, does not run

`vml run` detects the file type for you

The file you give it	What it does
`xxx.c` `xxx.py` `xxx.lua` ... (source in any of 27 languages)	Compiles it with the matching frontend compiler, links the standard library, and runs it
`xxx.vml`	This is text assembly; it is assembled and run directly
`xxx.vmb`	This is binary bytecode; it is loaded and run directly (fastest — no compilation or assembly)

So each of the three artifact levels has its own use:

source .c  --compile-->  .vml  --assemble-->  .vmb
           (vml run)           (Compile on the Files page)

**For the same program, .vmb starts fastest** — especially noticeable on a phone.

`vml make`: multi-file programs need a project file

vml run compiles one source file at a time. When there is more than one (main.c + util.c + ...), write a .vmk project file that spells out the relationships, then run vml make:

<VMLProject Version="1">
  <Entry>src/main.c</Entry>         <!-- the one containing main -->
  <Sources>
    <File>src/util.c</File>         <!-- the other compilation units -->
  </Sources>
  <Includes><Dir>src</Dir></Includes>   <!-- equivalent to -I -->
  <Defines><Define Name="VERSION" Value="1.2"/></Defines>  <!-- equivalent to -D -->
</VMLProject>

vml make proj.vmk        # the artifact lands next to the entry by default (src/main.vml); then vml run it

Three things to remember:

It only produces artifacts; it does not run them — run the artifact with vml run (keeping build and run separate is what makes batch and CI use practical);
<Output Format="..."> recognizes names like bin/elf/hex, but **only vml and vmb can be produced today; asking for anything else is a **clear error, rather than a .vml quietly handed back to you;
Elements the project file does not recognize are errors — a typo is never silently ignored.

If you already have a Makefile, you can convert it once: vmlcli make --import Makefile (a desktop command), and treat the .vmk as the source of truth from then on. The full format is in the repository's docs/VML工程文件.md.

Examples

vml test
vml run examples/c/app/gomoku.c
vml run examples/python/app/tetris.py
vml run ~/main.vmb
vml make ~/proj.vmk

If it will not run, or reports an error

Run vml test first — if it passes, the environment is fine and the problem is in your program
Look for a line number in the error and go fix that line
See VML compiler → Common errors