Build your own bytecode VM, and see how languages really run

📰 Dev.to · I Want To Learn Programming

Learn how to build a basic bytecode VM in 30 lines of code and understand how languages like Python, Java, and C# really run

intermediate Published 24 Jun 2026
Action Steps
  1. Build a basic stack-based VM using a loop
  2. Implement a tiny compiler to generate bytecode for the VM
  3. Run the VM with the compiled bytecode to see the results
  4. Compare the performance of the VM with native code execution
  5. Extend the VM to support more instructions and features
Who Needs to Know This

Developers and programming language enthusiasts can benefit from understanding the underlying mechanics of bytecode VMs, which can improve their coding skills and knowledge of compiler design

Key Insight

💡 A bytecode VM is essentially a loop over a stack, making it a simple yet powerful concept to understand and implement

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🚀 Build your own bytecode VM in 30 lines of code and learn how Python, Java, and C# really run! 🤖

Key Takeaways

Learn how to build a basic bytecode VM in 30 lines of code and understand how languages like Python, Java, and C# really run

Full Article

Python, Java, and C# do not run your source code directly, they compile it to bytecode and run that on a virtual machine. The VM sounds intimidating but its core is a loop over a stack. Here it is in about 30 lines, plus a tiny compiler to feed it.
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