The author describes their journey of creating a Jsonnet interpreter using Jsonnet itself, evolving from a code generator to developing a parser and lexer, ultimately gaining deeper insights into programming languages while successfully executing tests from the go-jsonnet repository.
Jsonnet, JSON Schema, Parser and Lexer
2025-05-20
- website
Highlight 1
The self-contained nature of the interpreter is a standout feature, making it a unique approach to working with Jsonnet.
Highlight 2
The tool supports a deep learning process for users interested in understanding programming language internals, which is beneficial for developers.
Highlight 3
Integration with existing Jsonnet libraries like crdsonnet and astsonnet makes it highly compatible for users working within the Jsonnet ecosystem.
Improvement 1
The user interface could be enhanced to be more accessible for non-technical users or those unfamiliar with Jsonnet.
Improvement 2
Documentation could be expanded to better explain the use cases and provide examples for a wider range of users.
Improvement 3
The tool could be optimized for performance, particularly for larger Jsonnet codebases, as executing complex code might be slow.
Product Functionality
Enhance the performance optimization of the interpreter to handle larger Jsonnet files with improved speed and efficiency.
UI & UX
The user interface could benefit from a more user-friendly design, with interactive features or a visual interface to help users better interact with and understand Jsonnet code execution.
SEO or Marketing
Consider creating more content around the educational aspects of the tool, such as tutorials and blog posts that highlight how users can benefit from learning Jsonnet through this interpreter.
MultiLanguage Support
Introduce multi-language support to cater to a global audience, especially for documentation and tutorials, ensuring non-English speaking users can easily access resources.
- 1
What is Jsonnet and why is this interpreter built in Jsonnet?
Jsonnet is a data-templating language that extends JSON to allow for more powerful expressions. This interpreter is built in Jsonnet itself to provide a deeper understanding of how programming languages are designed and to showcase Jsonnet's capabilities as both a templating and execution language.
- 2
Is this interpreter useful for non-developers?
This tool is primarily designed for developers who are familiar with Jsonnet or programming languages. Its technical nature may make it challenging for non-developers without prior programming experience.
- 3
Can this interpreter execute all Jsonnet test cases?
The interpreter is capable of executing most of the test cases from the go-jsonnet repository reliably, but it may struggle with certain complex or non-standard Jsonnet code.