bschmalhofer/m4
An implementation of GNU m4 on top of Parrot
Star History
Momentum
+10
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
1
PER DAY
#3
MOST-STARRED Parrot
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +7 | +10 | +90 |
| Per day | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forks gained | +1 | +3 | +10 |
m4 gained 10 stars in the last 30 days, about 1 a day, and now has 6. It is about 18 years old and has averaged roughly 0 stars a year. It ranks #3 among Parrot repositories and #10,816 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
4
DAYS ON TRENDING
#7084
BEST RANK
Sep 26, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
m4 has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #7084. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
m4 is an open-source project written in Parrot: An implementation of GNU m4 on top of Parrot.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in Parrot. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in Parrot for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/bschmalhofer/m4.git
cd m4⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
Parrot environment and standard tooling
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
m4 coordinates its core functionality through a modular Parrot pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed m4 into Parrot backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open Artistic-2.0 license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install m4 using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/bschmalhofer/m4.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for m4.
Import m4 into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `m4 --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with Parrot, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
bschmalhofer/m4 is currently ranked #10,816 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #10,560 | kenn/userify | Ruby | ★ 7 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,560 | vikhyat/zenity.rb | Ruby | ★ 7 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,560 | alriddoch/cyphesis | C++ | ★ 7 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,560 | tc-/GameUI | C++ | ★ 7 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,560 | grimen/page_glimpse | Ruby | ★ 7 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,816 | bschmalhofer/m4 This Project | Parrot | ★ 6 | |
| #10,816 | jnicklas/rorem | Ruby | ★ 6 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,816 | collectiveidea/css_naked_day | Ruby | ★ 6 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,816 | lancecarlson/kissgen | Ruby | ★ 6 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,816 | drnic/comment_replies | JavaScript | ★ 6 | Compare ↗ |
| #10,816 | lachie/logeye | Ruby | ★ 6 | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does m4 do? +
An implementation of GNU m4 on top of Parrot
What language is m4 written in? +
The primary language is Parrot. Topics include: software.
Is m4 actively maintained? +
Yes, the last recorded push was on Mar 29, 2009 with 0 open issues being tracked.
How many stars does m4 have? +
m4 has 6 stars and 1 forks on GitHub.
How does m4 rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 6 stars, bschmalhofer/m4 is ranked #10,816 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #3 among Parrot projects.
What license is m4 distributed under? +
The repository reports a Artistic-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
