Getting started

This page renders a first template with the command-line tool. If you want to use Texl from a program instead, see JavaScript, Python or Rust.

Install the command-line tool

You need Rust 1.85 or later. Then install the texl command from the repository:

cargo install --git https://github.com/onlabsorg/texl texl-cli

Check that it works:

texl --help

Create a file named hello.texl:

<% name = "world", today = time.from_string "2026-10-16" %>Hello, <% name %>!
Today is <% text.head 10 (time.to_string today) %>.
2 + 2 = <% 2 + 2 %>

The first tag binds two names and writes nothing. The other tags write the values of their expressions.

texl hello.texl

The rendered text goes to the terminal:

Hello, world!
Today is 2026-10-16.
2 + 2 = 4

To write it to a file instead, add -o:

texl hello.texl -o hello.txt