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What is Wren?

Wren is a small, fast, class-based concurrent scripting language. Talon uses Wren as its primary scripting language for game development. Learn more at wren.io.

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Basic Syntax

Wren is designed to be familiar if you’ve used languages like JavaScript, Lua, or Python. Here are the key concepts:

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Variables and Constants

var screenWidth = 1000
var screenHeight = 1000
var title = "My Game"
var color = Color.Yellow

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Classes

Wren is class-based. Here’s a simple class definition: 
class GameScreen {
  static Logo { 0 }
  static Title { 1 }
  static GamePlay { 2 }
  static Ending { 3 }
}

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Classes with Constructors

More complex classes can have constructors and instance variables: 
class Ball {
  construct new() {
    _rec = Rectangle.new(
      SCREEN_WIDTH / 2.0 - BALL_W / 2.0,
      SCREEN_HEIGHT - BALL_H - PADDLE_H - 40.0,
      BALL_W,
      BALL_H
    )
    _vel = Vector2.new(
      BALL_SPEED, 
      -BALL_SPEED
    )
  }

  rec { _rec }
  vel { _vel }
  
  draw(texture) {
    Raylib.drawTexturePro(
      texture, 
      BALL_TEXTURE_DIMS, 
      _rec, 
      Vector2.new(0.0, 0.0),
      0.0, 
      Color.new(255, 255, 255, 255)
    )
  }
}
Instance variables in Wren are prefixed with an underscore (_). Getters are defined using the shorthand name { _name } syntax.

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Functions and Closures

Wren supports first-class functions: 
var min = Fn.new { |a, b| 
  if (a < b) return a
  return b
}

var scale = min.call(width_scale, height_scale)

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Import System

Talon provides several built-in modules that you can import:

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Importing Built-in Modules

import "raylib" for Color, Raylib, Rectangle, Vector2, Camera2D, KeyCode, Texture2D
import "math" for Math
import "builtin" for Build

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Importing Local Modules

You can import your own Wren files using relative paths: 
import "./game" for Game
import "./ball" for Ball, BALL_W, BALL_H
import "./paddle" for Paddle, PADDLE_SPEED, PADDLE_W
import "./brick" for Brick
When importing local modules, use the ./ prefix for files in the same directory. You can export classes, variables, and constants from your modules.

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Control Flow

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Conditionals

if (currentScreen == GameScreen.Logo) {
  framesCounter = framesCounter + 1
} else if (currentScreen == GameScreen.Title) {
  Raylib.drawText("TITLE SCREEN", 20, 20, 40, Color.Blue)
}

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Loops

// While loops
while (i < _bricks.count) {
  var b = _bricks[i]
  i = i + 1
}

// For-in loops
for (brick in _bricks) {
  brick.draw(_brick_texture)
}

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Data Structures

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Lists

Wren has built-in List support: 
_bricks = []
_bricks.add(newBrick)
_bricks.removeAt(i)
var count = _bricks.count

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Working with Foreign Classes

Talon provides Raylib bindings as foreign classes: 
var texture = Texture2D.loadTexture("res/player.png")
var position = Vector2.new(100.0, 200.0)
var bounds = Rectangle.new(0.0, 0.0, 64.0, 64.0)
var myColor = Color.new(255, 255, 255, 255)

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Learn More

For a complete guide to the Wren language, visit:

Wren Language Documentation

Official Wren documentation with detailed language reference and examples

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Next Steps

Game Loop

Learn about Talon’s game loop structure

Project Structure

Organize your Wren files and modules

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