Dev tools · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to A very simple Lisp interpreter in 250 lines of literate Python
Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. A very simple Lisp interpreter in 250 lines of literate Python launched in 2017; newer entries below may have overtaken it.
- 1IW
The book page links to a blog post that explains how I got about it (and has a link to sample content), but the TL&DR is that I could not find a lot of books that were on "our" history _and_ were larded with technical details. So I set about writing one, and some five years later I'm happy to share the result. I think it's one of the few "computer history" books that has tons of code, but correct me if I'm wrong (I wrote this both to tell a story and to learn :-)). My favorite languages are Smalltalk and Lisp, but as an Emacs user, I've been using the latter for much longer and for my…
Feb 2026 · berksoft.ca · its alternatives →
- 2FA
2016 · nakkaya.com · its alternatives →
- 3

- 4AN
2012 · patient0.github.com · its alternatives →
- 5AA
2014 · skepsi.me · its alternatives →
- 6

GitHub Gist: instantly share code, notes, and snippets.
2011 · gist.github.com · its alternatives →
- 7IA
Software Engineer in New York specializing in Apple platforms
2015 · harlanhaskins.com · its alternatives →
- 8

See what it’s like to program in a language without null.
2015 · books.thoughtbot.com · its alternatives →
- 9

2023 · youtube.com · its alternatives →
- 10

2018 · gitlab.com · its alternatives →
- 11
Dispy▲8A python module for distributed and parallel computing
2017 · dispy.sourceforge.net · its alternatives →
- 12

Lisp-like-R: A clojure inspired lisp that compiles to R in R - dirkschumacher/llr
2021 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 13CP
2022 · code-struct.vercel.app · its alternatives →
- 14

2017 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 15

2018 · gitlab.com · its alternatives →
- 16AS
2021 · app.imagine.ai · its alternatives →
- 17

2015 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 18PA
2019 · medium.com · its alternatives →
- 19

Hi HN! I kept hearing about Lisp and why it was special but didn't have a great place to start. I wanted something self-contained that helped me develop intuition rather than fluency. My hope is this is helpful for casual programmers, professionals from other fields who interact with code, or engineers who haven't had much exposure to interpreters or compilers. Hope this helps anyone else who's curious about getting a sense of Lisp and what makes it special with a limited time investment! Feedback or other cool Lisp things welcome :)
2022 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 20

Forth Lisp Python Continuum: A small highly dynamic self-bootstrapping language - asrp/flpc
2018 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 21MA
2018 · moltenframework.com · its alternatives →
- 22

2018 · sterlingdemille.com · its alternatives →
- 23

2017 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 24AS
2018 · bwasti.com · its alternatives →
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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →