How do you prototype a nice language?

a year ago

Author has been prototyping a codeCAD language for the past month, making progress in grammar, parser, and evaluation.
Current demos are underwhelming, akin to basic examples in game programming or hardware engineering.
The goal is software hygge: instant loading, no crashes, and a comfortable user experience.
Bidirectional editing is an idea being explored, allowing manipulation of geometry both graphically and through source code.
Prototyping challenges include balancing between minimal viable product and ignoring flaws.
First-time building a language from grammar, with challenges in binding, function resolution, and evaluation.
Found 'Crafting Interpreters' by Nystrom useful, alongside Clojure tools.analyzer for data processing.
Considering but decided against Tree-sitter for parsing, opting for familiar tools like Instaparse.
Exploring unified approaches for language implementation with integrated editor tooling.
Looking for prior art in programming languages with first-party LSP support and bidirectional editing.
Mentions various resources and tools like Gleam, Lady Deirdre, Roslyn, and ClojureStorm.
Shares personal interests and readings, including language design, 3D printing, and government inefficiency.

Hasty Briefsbeta