Ask HN: Have any of you ever wanted to write a compiler or interpreter?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for feedback on a project I would like to start. Basically, I would like to start an educational project built around compiler and interpreter design.

I remember wanting to learn how to write a compiler for the longest time. However, each time I'd approach the subject to learn more, I would run into some kind of hurdle and eventually get distracted by other projects. The hurdle usually came in the form of poor access to good educational information.

There are books available like the famous Dragon book. However, I feel that there needs to be an alternative entry vector into the field of compiler and interpreter design. The project I'm considering would consist of a simple yet fully functioning compiler (or interpreter) with a heavy amount of documentation. Beyond this trivial implementation, subjects like JIT, stack vs register, dispatching methods, and compiler frameworks could be explored.

I have a small interpreter half written for a compiler design class I took at university. But I also plan on building a web site to hold all the documentation and educational material.

Would any of you benefit from a project like this? I'm willing to go it alone for quite a while, but eventually I would need help from the open source community.

Thanks, Nick