6 ms·

Gisp: A Lisp that compiles to Go

80 points by jcla1 13y ago

cryptolect 13y ago
Feels like this is the beginning of a trend: Clojure, Hy and now Gisp.
- nickik 13y ago
  This has always been done. Very view of these will actually get any real world use.
- klibertp 13y ago
  Traditionally C was the target language, many Schemes compile to it with great results. Writing a Lisp on top of something else has a very long tradition and certainly is not beginning just now. :)
  - ZenoArrow 13y ago
    What interests me is can these Lisp implementations facilitate easier translation between languages, e.g. write in Python, Python translated to Hy, Hy translated to Gisp, Gisp translated to Go. Whilst lisp dialects do differ, I'd imagine such links would be easier than a direct Python to Go translator.
    - deckiedan 13y ago
      Kind of - although these are all 'lisps', there's quite a lot of difference between them all. Most of these are keeping with their 'host' language scoping rules, for instance. Also external library calls, etc.
    - zem 13y ago
      but the main reason to use these language-hosted lisps rather than just using one of the mainstream lisps is to get access to the host language's libraries and ecosystem. that wouldn't translate particularly well between languages.
- ardfard 13y ago
  This exactly my thought too. It looks like everybody who already know Lisp will developed some sweet spots for it. My guess once you experience the Lisp kool-aid, it'll be hard to be apart with it. You'll miss it whenever you code.
yason 13y ago
For any programming language or platform without macros, a Lisp frontend appears.
- rdc12 13y ago
  A new law?
  - pjmlp 13y ago
    No, an old law. "Any sufficiently complicated C or Fortran program contains an ad hoc, informally-specified, bug-ridden, slow implementation of half of Common Lisp." Since the quote is from 1993, you just need to replace C and Fortran by the languages of the day.
    - gruseom 13y ago
      That's about the evolution of complicated programs, so quite different.
      - samatman 13y ago
        You'd be surprised how many language runtimes are complicated programs written in C....
        gruseom 13y ago
        But putting an s-expression front end on the language doesn't do anything to escape Greenspun, does it? Two different phenomena.
- mkesper 13y ago
  Nisp: A Lisp that compiles to Nothing the perfect zen...
  - agumonkey 13y ago
    And if you need a Lisp that is nothing : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIL_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIL_(programming_language)
chalst 13y ago
If you are wanting a native dynamic scripting language for Go, goluago is coming along quite nicely (alpha version released at New Year): https://github.com/akavel/goluago https://github.com/akavel/goluago I think if I wanted to implement a native Lisp interpreter/ bytecode compiler for Go, I would build on top of this project rather than starting from scratch.
- JulianMorrison 13y ago
  That looks useful, thanks.
pjmlp 13y ago
For those playing with this type of code generation, you get to learn more by targeting Assembly instead. Define a proper interface between ASTs and code generation and retarding the compiler is also not that complicated. Or generate LLVM bitcode and use the LLVM tools to compile it to native. Way better than relying in other compiler stacks. Of course, it is a matter how deep one wants to get into compiler stuff.
- unwind 13y ago
  s/retarding/retargeting/? Or something else? I haven't been able to come up with an interpretation where "retarding" makes sense in that sentence, but of course I'm not a native speaker. I guess targeting assembly is way harder, you must deal with register allocation and other scary-sounding topics.
  - pjmlp 13y ago
    > s/retarding/retargeting/? Ooops, a typo. > I guess targeting assembly is way harder, you must deal with register allocation and other scary-sounding topics. Not necessarily, if you are ok with just getting something to run. You can pre-define a set of generation templates for each AST node, no need for register allocation.
erikj 13y ago
Is there a Scheme implementation that compiles to Go?
- wuschel 13y ago
  I haven't seen that yet, could be a fun thing to have. I just found an implementation of Tinylisp in go. It would be fun to have all the funky goroutines in a schemish design.. http://www.oki-osk.jp/esc/golang/lisp.html http://www.oki-osk.jp/esc/golang/lisp.html On another note, there is Chicken Scheme, which compiles to C and produces executable files. Nice stuff! www.call-cc.org/‎
- pjmlp 13y ago
  There are lots of them that compile to native code.
e12e 13y ago
Does look like it could use a little more documentation? Am I missing something or is the only list of supported syntax etc the (very limited) examples and the implementation itself? There's no design/goal document listing what's supported or not? Other than that, this looks like a lot of fun :-)
- jcla1 13y ago
  Indeed it was a lot of fun implementing it (author here), and yes it could do with some more documentation, though up to now no one besides me was really concerned about the functionality... :-0
blahbl4hblahtoo 13y ago
Oh my god, if someone wrote a bitcoin wallet that protected you chats from the NSA in this List that compiles to GO THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT HN POST.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
jcla1 13y ago
Author here, in case anyone has any questions!
- sdegutis 13y ago
  How does it actually work? Does it compile to Go's intermediate language and then use the normal Go tool chain to compile it into native code, and then execute it? Or is it just an AST interpreter?
  - jcla1 13y ago
    It takes a given Gisp program and then lexes/parses it into a Gisp AST. Then it translates that Gisp AST into a Go AST [1] and then just prints out [2] the Go program that would generate that specific Go AST. [1] http://golang.org/pkg/go/ast/ http://golang.org/pkg/go/ast/ [2] http://golang.org/pkg/go/printer/ http://golang.org/pkg/go/printer/
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
bfe 13y ago
See also Kakapo, an effort at a lisp interpreter in Go. https://github.com/bytbox/kakapo https://github.com/bytbox/kakapo

80 points by jcla1 13y ago

cryptolect 13y ago

Feels like this is the beginning of a trend: Clojure, Hy and now Gisp.

nickik 13y ago
This has always been done. Very view of these will actually get any real world use.
klibertp 13y ago
Traditionally C was the target language, many Schemes compile to it with great results. Writing a Lisp on top of something else has a very long tradition and certainly is not beginning just now. :)
- ZenoArrow 13y ago
  What interests me is can these Lisp implementations facilitate easier translation between languages, e.g. write in Python, Python translated to Hy, Hy translated to Gisp, Gisp translated to Go. Whilst lisp dialects do differ, I'd imagine such links would be easier than a direct Python to Go translator.
  - deckiedan 13y ago
    Kind of - although these are all 'lisps', there's quite a lot of difference between them all. Most of these are keeping with their 'host' language scoping rules, for instance. Also external library calls, etc.
  - zem 13y ago
    but the main reason to use these language-hosted lisps rather than just using one of the mainstream lisps is to get access to the host language's libraries and ecosystem. that wouldn't translate particularly well between languages.
ardfard 13y ago
This exactly my thought too. It looks like everybody who already know Lisp will developed some sweet spots for it. My guess once you experience the Lisp kool-aid, it'll be hard to be apart with it. You'll miss it whenever you code.

yason 13y ago

For any programming language or platform without macros, a Lisp frontend appears.

rdc12 13y ago
A new law?
- pjmlp 13y ago
  No, an old law. "Any sufficiently complicated C or Fortran program contains an ad hoc, informally-specified, bug-ridden, slow implementation of half of Common Lisp." Since the quote is from 1993, you just need to replace C and Fortran by the languages of the day.
  - gruseom 13y ago
    That's about the evolution of complicated programs, so quite different.
    - samatman 13y ago
      You'd be surprised how many language runtimes are complicated programs written in C....
      - gruseom 13y ago
        But putting an s-expression front end on the language doesn't do anything to escape Greenspun, does it? Two different phenomena.
mkesper 13y ago
Nisp: A Lisp that compiles to Nothing the perfect zen...
- agumonkey 13y ago
  And if you need a Lisp that is nothing : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIL_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIL_(programming_language)

chalst 13y ago

If you are wanting a native dynamic scripting language for Go, goluago is coming along quite nicely (alpha version released at New Year): https://github.com/akavel/goluago https://github.com/akavel/goluago I think if I wanted to implement a native Lisp interpreter/ bytecode compiler for Go, I would build on top of this project rather than starting from scratch.

JulianMorrison 13y ago
That looks useful, thanks.

pjmlp 13y ago

For those playing with this type of code generation, you get to learn more by targeting Assembly instead. Define a proper interface between ASTs and code generation and retarding the compiler is also not that complicated. Or generate LLVM bitcode and use the LLVM tools to compile it to native. Way better than relying in other compiler stacks. Of course, it is a matter how deep one wants to get into compiler stuff.

unwind 13y ago
s/retarding/retargeting/? Or something else? I haven't been able to come up with an interpretation where "retarding" makes sense in that sentence, but of course I'm not a native speaker. I guess targeting assembly is way harder, you must deal with register allocation and other scary-sounding topics.
- pjmlp 13y ago
  > s/retarding/retargeting/? Ooops, a typo. > I guess targeting assembly is way harder, you must deal with register allocation and other scary-sounding topics. Not necessarily, if you are ok with just getting something to run. You can pre-define a set of generation templates for each AST node, no need for register allocation.

erikj 13y ago

Is there a Scheme implementation that compiles to Go?

wuschel 13y ago
I haven't seen that yet, could be a fun thing to have. I just found an implementation of Tinylisp in go. It would be fun to have all the funky goroutines in a schemish design.. http://www.oki-osk.jp/esc/golang/lisp.html http://www.oki-osk.jp/esc/golang/lisp.html On another note, there is Chicken Scheme, which compiles to C and produces executable files. Nice stuff! www.call-cc.org/‎
pjmlp 13y ago
There are lots of them that compile to native code.

e12e 13y ago

Does look like it could use a little more documentation? Am I missing something or is the only list of supported syntax etc the (very limited) examples and the implementation itself? There's no design/goal document listing what's supported or not? Other than that, this looks like a lot of fun :-)

jcla1 13y ago
Indeed it was a lot of fun implementing it (author here), and yes it could do with some more documentation, though up to now no one besides me was really concerned about the functionality... :-0

blahbl4hblahtoo 13y ago

Oh my god, if someone wrote a bitcoin wallet that protected you chats from the NSA in this List that compiles to GO THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT HN POST.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

jcla1 13y ago

Author here, in case anyone has any questions!

sdegutis 13y ago
How does it actually work? Does it compile to Go's intermediate language and then use the normal Go tool chain to compile it into native code, and then execute it? Or is it just an AST interpreter?
- jcla1 13y ago
  It takes a given Gisp program and then lexes/parses it into a Gisp AST. Then it translates that Gisp AST into a Go AST [1] and then just prints out [2] the Go program that would generate that specific Go AST. [1] http://golang.org/pkg/go/ast/ http://golang.org/pkg/go/ast/ [2] http://golang.org/pkg/go/printer/ http://golang.org/pkg/go/printer/

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

bfe 13y ago

See also Kakapo, an effort at a lisp interpreter in Go. https://github.com/bytbox/kakapo https://github.com/bytbox/kakapo