(peter.michaux.ca) peter.michaux.ca - Scheme from Scratch - Introduction

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• Scheme from Scratch - Introduction

Published January 1, 2010 in Scheme

The design and implementation of programming languages fascinates me. A programming language enables a text file to both accurately communicate to another person a problem's solution and control a computer's execution. The influence a language's feature set has on the way a programmer thinks about problems and their solutions is an endlessly captivating idea. The world of programming languages is amazing.

I'm particularly interested in implementing higher-level languages in lower-level languages. I think I was attracted to Math in school because the construction of new ideas based on a small set of axioms seems like good, clear thinking. Building up to a high-level programming language from below has the same appeal for me.

This article may be the first of many recording the scratching of an itch that apparently needs scratching. I cannot seem to ignore it even if I try. A book on Scheme or implementing interpreters or compilers always seems to find its way into my hands. I want to implement Scheme from Scratch: an interpreter, a compiler, a JIT, etc. I want to see how it all happens. If you do too then you may enjoy following along.