17.3.3 Using #lang s-exp syntax/module-reader

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► | 17 | Creating Languages

17.1 | Module Languages
17.2 | Reader Extensions
17.3 | Defining new #lang Languages

▼ | 17.3 | Defining new #lang Languages

17.3.1 | Designating a #lang Language
17.3.2 | Using #lang reader
17.3.3 | Using #lang s-exp syntax/ module-reader
17.3.4 | Installing a Language
17.3.5 | Source-Handling Configuration
17.3.6 | Module-Handling Configuration

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##### 17.3.3`` Using #lang s-exp syntax/module-reader

Parsing a module body is usually not as trivial as in "literal.rkt". A more typical module parser must iterate to parse multiple forms for a module body. A language is also more likely to extend Racket syntax – perhaps through a readtable – instead of replacing Racket syntax completely.

The syntax/module-reader module language abstracts over common parts of a language implementation to simplify the creation of new languages. In its most basic form, a language implemented with syntax/module-reader simply specifies the module language to be used for the language, in which case the reader layer of the language is the same as Racket. For example, with

> "raquet-mlang.rkt"

> > #lang racket
> > ( provide ( except-out ( all-from-out racket) lambda)
> > ( rename-out [ lambda function]))

and

> "raquet.rkt"

> > #lang s-exp syntax/module-reader
> > "raquet-mlang.rkt"

then

#lang reader "raquet.rkt"
( define identity (function (x) x))
( provide identity)

implements and exports the identity function, since "raquet-mlang.rkt" exports lambda as function.

The syntax/module-reader language accepts many optional specifications to adjust other features of the language. For example, an alternate read and read-syntax for parsing the language can be spcified with #:read and #:read-syntax, respectively. The following "dollar-racket.rkt" language uses "dollar.rkt" (see Readtables) to build a language that is like racket but with a $ escape to simple infix arithmetic:

> "dollar-racket.rkt"

> > #lang s-exp syntax/module-reader
> > racket
> > #:read $-read
> > #:read-syntax $-read-syntax
> > ( require ( prefix-in $- "dollar.rkt"))

The require form appears at the end of the module, because all of the keyword-tagged optional specifications for syntax/module-reader must appear before any helper imports or definitions.

The following module uses "dollar-racket.rkt" to implement a cost function using a $ escape:

> "store.rkt"

> > #lang reader "dollar-racket.rkt"
> > ( provide cost)
> > ; Cost of `n' $1 rackets with 7% sales
> > ; tax and shipping-and-handling fee `h':
> > ( define (cost n h)
> > $n*107/100+h$)

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