# Racket 8.9 in now available

**URL:** https://d.strumenta.community/t/racket-8-9-in-now-available/1820
**Category:** Language Workbenches
**Tags:** racket, release
**Created:** [May 12, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://d.strumenta.community/t/racket-8-9-in-now-available/1820 "2023-05-12T15:55:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![spdegabrielle](https://d.strumenta.community/user_avatar/d.strumenta.community/spdegabrielle/32/965_2.png) [@spdegabrielle](https://d.strumenta.community/u/spdegabrielle)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://d.strumenta.community/t/racket-8-9-in-now-available/1820/1 "2023-05-12T15:55:15Z")

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Racket 8.9 in now available from [http://racket-lang.org/](http://racket-lang.org/)

**Why is this relevant for this community?**

Racket comes with

- a high-quality incremental compiler (based on Chez Scheme) for most platforms and has experimental Javascript and LLVM(MLIR) compiler implementations.
- The compiler is directly available to language implementers and includes a C FFI.
- [many tools to for language development](https://github.com/racket/racket/wiki/language-development-toolchain)
- metalanguages such as [turnstile](https://docs.racket-lang.org/turnstile/) for creating statically type-checked languages and [Rosette](https://emina.github.io/rosette/) for developing synthesis and verification tools for new languages
- [PLT Redex](https://redex.racket-lang.org) - a domain-specific language designed for specifying and debugging operational semantics.
- Learning materials for language engineers [https://beautifulracket.com/](https://beautifulracket.com/), [https://docs.racket-lang.org/guide/languages.html](https://docs.racket-lang.org/guide/languages.html)

Racket is a modern Lisp and a descendent of Scheme, **but**

- is not interpreted like many scheme and lisp implementations - compiles to native machine code and is not tied to a specific VM platform
- includes Typed Racket with static type checking
- is enthusiastic about other syntax styles. Language engineers are (not (stuck (with lots (of (annoying)) (parentheses))) (there are a number of parsers and parser generators to choose from)
  - the Racket community is actively developing a language with python-like syntax (working title ‘Rhombus’
  - Racket includes an implementations of languages with non-lisp syntax like Algol 68 and Datalog.
  - language engineers working in Racket create languages a variety of syntax styles.

Racket is a _programmable programming language_:

> "As such, it is often used to quickly prototype embedded (domain-specific) languages. Its innovative features have influenced the development of Clojure and Rust, many other languages.

> “The goal of the Racket project is to explore this emerging idea of language-oriented programming, or LOP, at two different levels. At the practical level, the goal is to build a programming language that enables language-oriented software design. This language must facilitate easy creation of eDSLs, immediate development of components in these newly created languages, and integration of compo- nents in distinct eDSLs; Racket is available at [http://racket-lang.org/“](http://racket-lang.org/) - [A programmable programming language | Communications of the ACM](https://doi.org/10.1145/3127323)

Racket has four stable releases per year. What’s new in this release: [https://racket.discourse.group/t/racket-version-8-9-is-now-available-from-https-download-racket-lang-org/1941](https://racket.discourse.group/t/racket-version-8-9-is-now-available-from-https-download-racket-lang-org/1941)

Best regards,  
Stephen

Racket is an open source project under MIT/Apache2: [https://sfconservancy.org/news/2018/jun/12/racketjoins/](https://sfconservancy.org/news/2018/jun/12/racketjoins/)