python to lisp translation

[Justin Sheehy]

Paul Rubin <phr-n2002a at nightsong.com> writes:

>> However, it would be a seriously hard thing to do correctly and well.
>
> I've been kicking the idea around for a while.  Do you see any
> specific stumbling blocks?  I can see having to modify the underlying
> Scheme implementation in some minor ways to get things like immutable
> strings, but most of Python maps onto Scheme in a pretty natural way.

There are a lot of issues, including the surprising amount of
interesting work that is done even at the bytecode-interpretation
stage in Python.  Start at ceval.c and keep reading.  :-)  Also,
realize that most Python programs do not only execute Python code.
Major parts of the core standard library are not written in Python.
This could be a huge stumbling block. 

This is only the beginning.  My personal opinion would be that you
might be much better off helping to resurrect John Max Skaller's
"Vyper" project than starting from scratch.  Vyper is a variant of
Python implemented in OCaml, designed for very high performance.  The
project seems to have gone defunct, but it made a very promising
beginning given its ambitious goal.

(OCaml is not Scheme, but it shares many of the features that you
might care about.)

Have fun, and good luck.

-Justin