Clojure-Typst: A Clojure-style Lisp for Typst

The Problem

Typst is a modern typesetting system with a nice programming language, but it's not a Lisp. We only like Lisps.

The Vision

Create a Clojure-inspired Lisp that compiles to Typst, bringing:

S-expression syntax
Functional programming idioms
Macros and metaprogramming
Immutable-first data structures
REPL-driven development (maybe?)

Open Questions

Syntax & Semantics

How closely do we follow Clojure syntax?
What Typst constructs map to Lisp naturally?
How do we handle Typst's content mode vs code mode distinction?
Do we support Clojure-style destructuring?
What about namespaces/modules?

Data Structures

Vectors [], maps {}, sets #{}?
How do these map to Typst arrays and dictionaries?
Lazy sequences - possible in Typst?

Interop

How do we call Typst functions from our Lisp?
How do we emit Typst content/markup?
Can we import Typst packages?

Implementation

What language for the compiler? (Clojure? Rust? Typst itself?)
AST representation
Compilation strategy (source-to-source? interpreter?)
Error messages and source maps

Typst Features to Leverage

Functions are first-class
Has closures
Pattern matching in function args
Content as a first-class type
Scripting mode # vs content mode

Example Syntax Ideas

; Define a function
(defn greet [name]
  (str "Hello, " name "!"))

; Emit typst content
(content
  (heading "My Document")
  (greet "World"))

; Maybe something like hiccup for content?
[:heading {:level 1} "My Document"]
["Hello, " [:strong "World"] "!"]

Next Steps

Study Typst's language semantics more deeply
Identify the minimal viable feature set
Decide on implementation language
Build a basic parser for s-expressions
Implement core special forms (def, fn, let, if, do)
Add Typst content emission
Iterate

Resources

Notes

(Add brainstorming notes here)

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