Installing Quetzal Language

This guide walks you through installing the Quetzal Language interpreter on Windows.

Windows only

System requirements

Operating system

• Windows 10 (64-bit) or later
• Windows 11 (recommended)

Minimum hardware

• RAM: 512 MB minimum (1 GB recommended)
• Storage: 100 MB of free space
• Processor: compatible x64 CPU

Installation steps

1. Download the executable

   Visit the GitHub releases page and download the latest version:

   • Quetzal Language releases
   • Look for the file named quetzal.exe in the Assets section of the most recent release.

2. Create an installation directory

   Create a folder for Quetzal on your system. We recommend:

   C:\\quetzal\\

   Move the downloaded quetzal.exe file into this folder.

3. Configure environment variables

   To run Quetzal from any location:

   • Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter
   • Go to the “Advanced” tab
   • Click “Environment Variables”
   • Under “System variables”, find Path and click “Edit”
   • Click “New” and add the path: C:\\quetzal
   • Click “OK” on every dialog

4. Verify the installation

   Open a new Command Prompt or PowerShell window and run:

   quetzal --version

   You should see something like:

   Lenguaje Quetzal v0.0.2

Basic usage

Run a Quetzal file

quetzal mi_programa.qz

Show help

quetzal --ayuda

Quick verification

Create a file named prueba.qz with the following content:

consola.mostrar_exito("¡Lenguaje Quetzal instalado correctamente!")

entero edad = 25
texto nombre = "María"

consola.mostrar("Hola " + nombre + ", tienes " + edad.texto() + " años")

si (edad >= 18) {
    consola.mostrar("Eres mayor de edad")
} sino {
    consola.mostrar("Eres menor de edad")
}

Run the file:

quetzal prueba.qz

If you see the correct output, the installation was successful!

Troubleshooting

Command not recognized

Error: 'quetzal' is not recognized as an internal or external command

Solution:

• Confirm you added the correct path to PATH
• Restart Command Prompt/PowerShell after changing the environment variables
• Ensure the file is at C:\\quetzal\\quetzal.exe

Permission error

Error: Cannot run the file

Solution:

• Run Command Prompt as administrator
• Check that you have read permissions in the installation folder
• Make sure Windows is not blocking the file (right-click > Properties > Unblock)

Antivirus blocks the file

Error: The antivirus flags the file as a threat

Solution:

• Add C:\\quetzal\\ to your antivirus exceptions
• Download again from the official GitHub Releases page
• Report the false positive to your antivirus vendor

Diagnostic commands

# Make sure the file exists
dir C:\\quetzal\\quetzal.exe

# Check environment variables
echo %PATH%

# Run with detailed information
quetzal --info

Update Quetzal

To upgrade to a new version:

1. Download the latest quetzal.exe from GitHub Releases
2. Replace the previous file in C:\\quetzal\\
3. Confirm the new version with quetzal --version

Uninstall

To remove Quetzal from your system:

1. Delete the C:\\quetzal\\ folder
2. Remove C:\\quetzal from the PATH environment variable
3. (Optional) Delete any .qz files you created

Next steps

Great! Quetzal Language is ready to use. Continue with:

Your first program

Learn how to build and run your first complete Quetzal program.

Create first program →

Basic syntax

Get familiar with the language syntax and structure.

Learn the syntax →

Practical examples

Explore sample code for different use cases.

See examples →

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Any trouble with the installation? Open an issue in our GitHub repository.