SCRUM

The home of the SCRUM programming language. Designed for being a language which is understandable for business as well as for developers and losely inspired by the Scrum (software development) framework (hence the name of course).

Meet Scrummy! 🎉

Scrummy is the official mascot of the SCRUM programming language! This friendly companion represents the approachable and collaborative spirit of SCRUM. With those big eyes and a cheerful smile, Scrummy is here to guide you through your journey of becoming a true SCRUM MASTER PROGRAMMER!

Why?

So you can become an actual Master of SCRUM programming instead of being just a 'Scrum Master' (without even coding)! Or in other words a SCRUM MASTER PROGRAMMER!

Inspired by being a Rockstar developer (the programming language developed by Dylan Beattie) and wanting to really comprehend the creation and work of an actual programming language I decided to develop my own. As by origin being a Java Developer and because everyone has Java on his computer I used Java as base for the new language.

Revolutionary #INTENT: Natural Language Programming 🚀

SCRUM introduces a groundbreaking approach to programming: the #INTENT construct that represents a new level in programming languages. Write natural language descriptions that are automatically transformed into executable code at compile time using Large Language Models (LLMs).

Traditional Programming vs. SCRUM #INTENT

Traditional approach:

// You write explicit implementation
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter your age: ");
int age = scanner.nextInt();
int birthYear = 2024 - age;
System.out.println("You were born in: " + birthYear);

SCRUM #INTENT approach:

USER STORY "ComputeBirthYear"
    #INTENT
    I want to ask the user for their current age.
    The input will be used to calculate and display their birth year 
    based on the current year 2024.
    #END INTENT
END

The #INTENT block automatically becomes fully functional SCRUM code at compile time!

How It Works

Write Intent: Describe what you want in natural language
Compile-time AI: LLM transforms your intent into valid SCRUM syntax
Auto-validation: Generated code is verified before execution
Seamless Execution: Your program runs as if you wrote the code manually

Supported AI Providers

OpenAI (GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini, o1, o3-mini)
Anthropic Claude (Sonnet 4, Sonnet 4.5)
Groq (Ultra-fast, free tier available)
Cerebras (High performance)
Together.ai (Multiple open-source models)
Ollama (Local, completely free)

Quick start with Groq (free):

export SCRUM_API_KEY="your-groq-key"  # Free at console.groq.com
export SCRUM_API_BASE_URL="https://api.groq.com/openai/v1"
scrum examples/IntentComputeBirthYear.scrum

📚 Complete #INTENT Guide: Getting Started with Intents | LLM Configuration

Hello World

A glance of the scrum programming language using the 'Hello World' example:

#SPRINTGOAL Deliver our first Scrum program

EPIC "SampleStories"

    USER STORY "HelloWorld"

        #REVIEW Our first Scrum Program
        SAY "Hello world!"

    END OF STORY

END OF EPIC

Hello World with #INTENT (AI-Powered)

Experience the future of programming with natural language:

EPIC "HelloWorldApp"
    USER STORY "Greeting"
        #INTENT
        I want to create a simple greeting that displays "Hello from SCRUM!" to the user.
        #END INTENT
    END OF STORY
END OF EPIC

app IS NEW HelloWorldApp
app::Greeting USING []

The #INTENT block becomes real executable code automatically! 🤖✨

Running A Scrum Program

Quick Start (SDK Installation)

The recommended way to run SCRUM programs is to install the SDK:

Download the latest SDK from GitHub Releases
Install using the provided installer script:
- Windows: Run installers\install.bat (as Administrator)
- Linux/macOS: Run installers/install.sh (with sudo for system-wide)
Verify installation: scrum --version
Run programs: scrum examples/HelloWorld.scrum

Command Line Interface

SCRUM provides a comprehensive CLI with powerful features:

# Get help and see all available options
scrum --help

# View built-in examples and sample code  
scrum --examples

# Validate syntax without execution (perfect for CI/CD)
scrum --validate myprogram.scrum

# Run with detailed debugging information
scrum --debug myprogram.scrum

# Check version and environment details
scrum --version

Available Commands:

-v, --version - Display version and environment information
-h, --help - Show comprehensive help with examples
--examples - View available examples with sample code
-d, --debug - Enable debug mode with detailed error traces
-c, --validate - Validate syntax only (no execution)

Upgrading SCRUM

To upgrade to a newer version:

# Method 1: Quick upgrade (replaces existing installation)
# Download new SDK and run installer directly

# Method 2: Side-by-side installation for testing
# Windows: installers\install.ps1 -InstallDir "C:\scrum-beta"
# Linux: ./installers/install.sh --install-dir /opt/scrum-beta

# Switch versions by updating SCRUM_HOME environment variable

📚 Complete installation guide: See SDK-INSTALLATION.md

Running SCRUM code via unit test

Example code files can be found within SCRUM Examples.

The SCRUM Examples can be executed and debugged using the ScrumLanguageTest. The project is built upon Java 25 (LTS).

Running from development build

To run SCRUM programs from the development directory (for contributors and developers):

Navigate to Development and run:

# Windows Command Prompt
scrum.bat examples\HelloWorld.scrum

# Windows PowerShell
.\scrum.bat examples\HelloWorld.scrum

# Linux/macOS
./scrum.sh examples/HelloWorld.scrum

You can use the SCRUM Examples for testing purposes.

Local installation

If you want to run the code from anywhere, you can create a SCRUM_HOME variable and add it to the system varaiables. Set the SCRUM_HOME environment variable pointing to your SCRUM installation and add this variable into your PATH variable adding %SCRUM_HOME%.

IDE Support

SCRUM language extensions are available for popular IDEs to provide syntax highlighting, code folding, and language support.

VS Code Extension

Get syntax highlighting and language support in Visual Studio Code:

Quick Install (Windows):

cd ide-extensions
.\install-vscode.ps1

Or double-click ide-extensions\install-vscode.bat and restart VS Code.

Features:

Syntax highlighting for keywords, directives, and operators
Code folding for Sprint/Story/API blocks
Auto-closing brackets and quotes
Comment toggling (Ctrl+/)
Bracket matching

IntelliJ IDEA Plugin

Get SCRUM language support in IntelliJ IDEA:

Build and Install:

cd ide-extensions
.\install-intellij.ps1

Then install the generated plugin via Settings → Plugins → Install Plugin from Disk.

Features:

File type recognition for .scrum files
Syntax highlighting
Code structure view
Custom file icon
Comment support

For detailed installation instructions, manual setup, and development guides, see IDE Extensions Documentation.

Language Reference

Core Features

Traditional Programming Constructs:

Business-friendly syntax using Scrum terminology (EPIC, USER STORY, etc.)
Variables, operators, control flow with intuitive keywords
HTTP REST API definitions with declarative syntax
Comprehensive error handling with "Scrum Impediment" reporting

Revolutionary AI-Powered Programming:

#INTENT blocks: Write natural language that becomes executable code
Multi-provider LLM support: OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, Ollama, and more
Automatic fallback chains: Seamlessly switch providers for reliability
Compile-time transformation: AI code generation with validation

For complete syntax documentation including operators, keywords, control structures, and data types, see the Language Reference.

API Definitions

SCRUM supports first-class HTTP API definitions using declarative syntax. See the complete API Definitions documentation for detailed information on:

Defining APIs with base paths
Creating endpoints with HTTP methods
Executable endpoints with WHEN REQUEST blocks
Complete API examples

Error Handling

SCRUM features Scrum-inspired error reporting that transforms technical exceptions into narrative-style impediment messages using familiar Scrum terminology.

Runtime Impediments

When a USER STORY encounters an error during execution, SCRUM reports it as an IMPEDIMENT that blocked the story from completing:

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║  SCRUM IMPEDIMENT – USER STORY COULD NOT BE COMPLETED          ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

FILE DivisionByZero.scrum, LINE 3

DURING EXECUTION OF THIS STORY I TRIED TO:
    result IS a / b

BUT I ENCOUNTERED A BLOCKER:
    Division by zero is not allowed

IMPEDIMENT CODE: SCRUM-RUNTIME-ARITH-001

Syntax Impediments

Parse and syntax errors are reported as impediments discovered during BACKLOG REFINEMENT:

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║  SCRUM IMPEDIMENT – BACKLOG ITEM NOT READY                     ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

FILE billing.scrum, LINE 8, COLUMN 5

DURING BACKLOG REFINEMENT I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THIS PART:
    I WANT TO DEFINE ENDPOINT "GetInvoices"

BECAUSE:
    Expected 'METHOD IS' after endpoint name

IMPEDIMENT CODE: SCRUM-SYNTAX-ENDPOINT-001

Impediment Codes

SCRUM uses structured impediment codes for different error categories:

Runtime Impediments:

SCRUM-RUNTIME-ARITH-001 - Arithmetic errors (division by zero, overflow)
SCRUM-RUNTIME-NAME-001 - Undefined EPIC, USER STORY, or API references
SCRUM-RUNTIME-TYPE-001 - Type mismatch errors
SCRUM-RUNTIME-ITERATION-001 - Iteration errors (non-iterable values)
SCRUM-RUNTIME-PROPERTY-001 - Property access errors
SCRUM-RUNTIME-UNKNOWN-001 - Uncategorized runtime errors

Syntax Impediments:

SCRUM-SYNTAX-TOKEN-001 - Unrecognized tokens or characters
SCRUM-SYNTAX-STRUCTURE-001 - Misplaced or unfinished EPIC/USER STORY
SCRUM-SYNTAX-ENDPOINT-001 - Invalid API endpoint definition
SCRUM-SYNTAX-EXPRESSION-001 - Invalid expression or operator
SCRUM-SYNTAX-UNEXPECTED-001 - Unexpected token
SCRUM-SYNTAX-UNEXPECTED-001 - Unexpected token
SCRUM-SYNTAX-UNKNOWN-001 - Uncategorized syntax errors

Debug Mode

For development and debugging, you can enable full Java stack traces alongside Scrum-style messages:

java -Dscrum.debug=true -jar scrum-language-1.2.0.jar yourfile.scrum

Documentation

Complete documentation is available in the docs/ directory:

Core Documentation

Language Reference - Complete SCRUM syntax and semantics
API Definitions - REST API integration capabilities
SDK Installation Guide - Install SCRUM globally on your system
Quick Reference - Command cheat sheet

AI-Powered Programming (#INTENT)

Getting Started with Intents - Revolutionary natural language programming
LLM Configuration - AI service setup and provider options
Fallback Chain Implementation - Multi-provider reliability

For Contributors

Release Process - Step-by-step guide for releasing new SDK versions
SDK Implementation - Technical architecture details

For Contributors

If you're contributing to the SCRUM language:

Release Process - Step-by-step guide for releasing new SDK versions
Use the automated release scripts: release.bat, release.ps1, or release.sh
Follow semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
All releases are automatically published to GitHub via GitHub Actions

Credits

The base code started from a sample project of @alexandermakeev toy-language. A very fine starting base to get a good comprehension of developing a new programming language. The original version of the SCRUM programming language was developed and designed by @janvanwassenhove (aka mITy.John - follow mITy.John on Instagram).

Check out the blog post on mITy.John for more information on the development of the SCRUM programming language or other projects.

Since SCRUM is built on top of Java, Scrummy and Duke (Java's mascot) are best friends! This friendship symbolizes how SCRUM leverages the power and stability of the Java platform while bringing its own unique, business-friendly syntax to the world of programming.

Copyright (c) 2023-2025 Jan Van Wassenhove
Licensed under terms specified in LICENSE file.

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.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
dependency-reduced-pom.xml		dependency-reduced-pom.xml
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pom.xml		pom.xml
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SCRUM

Table of Contents

Meet Scrummy! 🎉

Why?

Revolutionary #INTENT: Natural Language Programming 🚀

Traditional Programming vs. SCRUM #INTENT

How It Works

Supported AI Providers

Hello World

Hello World with #INTENT (AI-Powered)

Running A Scrum Program

Quick Start (SDK Installation)

Command Line Interface

Upgrading SCRUM

Running SCRUM code via unit test

Running from development build

Local installation

IDE Support

VS Code Extension

IntelliJ IDEA Plugin

Language Reference

Core Features

API Definitions

Error Handling

Runtime Impediments

Syntax Impediments

Impediment Codes

Debug Mode

Documentation

Core Documentation

AI-Powered Programming (#INTENT)

For Contributors

For Contributors

Credits

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