| title | Getting Started |
|---|---|
| summary | Install CalcMark and run your first calculation. |
| weight | 10 |
macOS/Linux (Homebrew):
brew install calcmark/tap/calcmarkDownload binary:
| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | calcmark_darwin_arm64.tar.gz |
| macOS (Intel) | calcmark_darwin_amd64.tar.gz |
| Linux (x64) | calcmark_linux_amd64.tar.gz |
| Linux (arm64) | calcmark_linux_arm64.tar.gz |
| Windows (x64) | calcmark_windows_amd64.zip |
After downloading, extract and move cm to a directory in your PATH. On macOS, you may need to run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ./cm before first use.
Open a worked example directly — no files needed. Click {{< repo-file path="testdata/examples/household-budget.cm" show_file="false" >}} to copy the cm remote command to your clipboard. Paste it into your terminal to launch CalcMark with the [Household Budget]({{< ref "docs/examples/household-budget" >}}) example loaded in the editor. Press Ctrl+H to open the help menu and see all keyboard shortcuts. Press Ctrl+Q to exit.
You'll see the {{< repo-file path="testdata/examples/household-budget.cm" show_file="false" >}} icon throughout the docs and [Examples]({{< ref "docs/examples" >}}) — it always copies a
cm remotecommand you can paste into your terminal.
You can also start from scratch or open a local file:
cm # New document
cm budget.cm # Open existing fileBrowse more examples in the [Examples]({{< ref "docs/examples" >}}) section.
Process a local file and see results:
cm eval budget.cmQuick calculations from the command line:
echo "price = 100 USD" | cm
echo "24 celsius in fahrenheit" | cm
echo "500 gram in oz" | cm
echo "1 atmosphere in psi" | cm
echo "1 + 1" | cm --format json # JSON output for scriptingNote: When stdin is piped,
cmautomatically evaluates and prints results instead of opening the editor. Use--format jsonfor structured output.
The editor includes autosuggest that helps you discover functions and units as you type. Type at least 2 characters and suggestions appear automatically:
Every function has both a traditional fn(args) form and a natural language form. The autocomplete shows both -- select the function name for compound(...) syntax, or the NL row for compound $1000 by 5% over 10 years:
Variables must be defined before use. Later lines can reference earlier ones:
base_salary = $85000
bonus_pct = 15%
bonus = base_salary * bonus_pct
total_comp = base_salary + bonus
CalcMark understands physical units and currencies:
marathon_pace = 12.06 km/hour
race_time = 3 hours + 30 minutes
distance_covered = marathon_pace over race_time
price_usd = 100 USD
price_eur = 85 EUR
Write prose freely. Only lines that parse as calculations are evaluated:
# Project Budget
We need to account for both development and infrastructure costs.
dev_team = 5
monthly_salary = $12000
dev_cost = dev_team * monthly_salary * 6
Infrastructure will be roughly 20% of dev costs.
infra_pct = 20%
infra_cost = dev_cost * infra_pct
To share and open CalcMark documents via GitHub Gist, install the GitHub CLI:
brew install gh
gh auth loginSee Sharing with GitHub Gist in the User Guide for details.
Learn by domain — pick a Guide that matches your use case:
- System Sizing — capacity planning, bandwidth, SLA budgets
- Business Planning — P&L, budgets, financial modeling
- Recipe Scaling — fractions, measurement conventions, scaling
- Unit Conversion — measurement systems, ambiguous units
Go deeper:
- User Guide — task-oriented reference for every feature
- The Editor — preview modes, shortcuts, autocomplete
- Examples — complete worked documents
- Language Reference — formal specification
Integrate:
- Agent & API Integration — use CalcMark from code or AI agents
- Go Package — embed in your Go application
- {{< lark "" "CalcMark Lark" >}} — try in your browser, no install needed