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Additional Implementations and Research Systems ​

Notable systems adjacent to (or directly implementing) algebraic effects beyond the primary language pages in this folder.

Last reviewed: February 16, 2026.

Effekt ​

Effekt is a research language centered on effect handlers and direct-style programming.

  • Focus: language-level support for handlers and effect polymorphism
  • Value: good reference point for modern handler-oriented language design
  • Relationship: Similar design goals to Eff and Koka

Reference: Effekt website

Links is a research language for web programming with row-polymorphic effect typing and long-running work on effect handlers.

  • Focus: typed effects in client/server/database integrated programming
  • Value: shows effect systems in a full-stack language setting

Reference: Links language site

Koka (for context) ​

Koka is covered in detail in its dedicated page, but it is worth reiterating here as one of the strongest end-to-end designs:

  • row-polymorphic effect types with inference
  • practical compilation strategies
  • active releases in the v3 line

References:

Systems-Language Direction: C + Coroutines ​

Recent work demonstrates effect handlers implemented in C via coroutine machinery.

  • Focus: low-level implementation route without requiring a full new language runtime
  • Value: broadens the portability story for handlers

Reference: Effect Handlers for C via Coroutines (ICFP 2024)

WebAssembly Target Direction ​

Wasm continuation proposals and WasmFX work position WebAssembly as a common low-level target for effect handlers.

  • Focus: typed control transfer primitives for compiled handlers
  • Value: potential cross-language backend convergence

References:

Notes ​

  • This page intentionally excludes systems that are only loosely "effect-like" (for example, generic safety/ownership claims without handler semantics).
  • For full historical context, see Evolution of Effect Systems; for active research, see Key Papers.