Writing an Interpreter in Go

Thorsten Ball

 ·  golang   interpreters   programming-languages  ·  programming   compilers

Writing an Interpreter in Go cover
Cover of Writing an Interpreter in Go

Overview:

Thorsten Ball’s Writing an Interpreter in Go is a hands-on guide to building a programming language from scratch. Instead of focusing on theory-heavy compiler design, the book takes a practical, code-along approach, making it accessible to everyday developers.

Throughout the book, you’ll implement Monkey, a small but expressive programming language, while learning the fundamentals of interpreters and programming language design.

Key Takeaways:

  • Build a lexer, parser, and abstract syntax tree (AST) in Go
  • Understand how to evaluate expressions, statements, and functions
  • Learn about scoping, environments, closures, and REPLs
  • Gain a strong foundation for diving deeper into compilers or virtual machines

It’s an excellent resource for developers who want to deepen their understanding of how programming languages work under the hood, while leveling up their Go skills.