"How to build a Clojure dialect" by Jeaye Wilkerson

Learn how to build a Clojure dialect, from understanding Closure's complexities to implementing macros and optimizing performance, and discover the challenges and best practices involved in creating a successful dialect.

Key takeaways
  • Building a Clojure dialect requires understanding the limitations and intricacies of the Closure compilation process.
  • Closure is a heavily engineered library, and building a dialect can’t avoid dealing with its complexities.
  • Starting a dialect from scratch is less viable than building on top of an existing JVM implementation.
  • Macros are critical components of a Lisp dialect; however, implementing them properly is challenging.
  • Closure dialects can be built on top of JVM bytecode or native code, making the latter more appealing for performance.
  • Syntactic and semantic analysis are crucial phases in building a dialect, requiring rigorous evaluation and optimization.
  • Macros should be considered as functions with additional features and metadata.
  • The difficulty in building a dialect lies not in the language itself but in addressing its complexities and limitations.
  • Even Rich Hickey, the creator of Clojure, has acknowledged the struggles involved in building a dialect.
  • Successful dialects require careful balance between performance, maintainability, and consistency with the original language.
  • The ideal Closure dialect should be designed as a bridge between the host language and Clojure, allowing for seamless integration.