← Wednesday, September 30, 2026Languages & toolsDeep dive
A data-structures assignment grows into a functional language in C
A binary-tree arithmetic evaluator expanded into a language with closures, garbage collection, a custom allocator, a REPL and an FFI. The project offers a concrete look at how core language-runtime components fit together.
- What
- A data-structures assignment to evaluate arithmetic expressions led its author to build a functional language in C.
- How
- The evaluator applies functions without needing to know what each function does; variables use a hash table for lookup.
- Why it matters
- The project illustrates how language features such as closures, garbage collection, and a custom allocator become systems-engineering concerns.
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