Racket: A programmable programming language

Racket is a wide-spectrum programming language that inherits from Lisp and Scheme but also provides dialects that support objects, types, laziness, and many other paradigms. Racket's module system allows programmers to write and link together components written in different dialects. Racket's libraries range from web servers to distributed computing and from databases to charts.

Start Quickly

News

#lang racket
;; Report each unique line from stdin
(let ([saw (make-hash)])
  (for ([line (in-lines)])
    (unless (hash-ref saw line #f)
      (displayln line))
    (hash-set! saw line #t)))
#lang racket ; Simple web scraper
(require net/url net/uri-codec)
(define (let-me-google-that-for-you str)
  (let* ([g "http://www.google.com/search?q="]
         [u (string-append g (uri-encode str))]
         [rx #rx"(?<=<h3 class=\"r\">).*?(?=</h3>)"])
    (regexp-match* rx (get-pure-port (string->url u)))))

Racket version 5.3.5 has been released.

Racket videos are now available.

RacketCon 2013 will be in September in Boston.

Draw more pictures or build a web server from scratch. Racket includes both batteries and a programming environment, so get started!

Go Further

Grow your Program

Racket's interactive mode encourages experimentation, and quick scripts easily compose into larger systems. Small scripts and large systems both benefit from native-code JIT compilation. When a system gets too big to keep in your head, you can add static types.

Grow your Language

Extend Racket whenever you need to. Mold it to better suit your tasks without sacrificing interoperability with existing libraries and without having to modify the tool chain. When less is more, you can remove parts of a language or start over and build a new one.

Grow your Skills

Whether you're just starting out, want to know more about programming language applications or models, looking to expand your horizons, or ready to dive into research, Racket can help you become a better programmer and system builder.

Documentation

For getting started

Quick: An Introduction to Racket with Pictures gives you a taste of Racket.

More: Systems Programming with Racket dives much deeper and much faster, showing how to build a complete continuation-based web server.

Guide: Racket starts with a tutorial on Racket basics, and then it describes the rest of the Racket language.

For experienced Racketeers

Reference: Racket provides comprehensive coverage of all of Racket.

Continue: Web Applications in Racket describes how to use the Racket web server to build dynamic web applications.

Package Management explains how to install packages, and how to build and distribute your own.

Learning

How to Design Programs

A principled approach to program design

  • Teaching language support built-in to DrRacket
  • Aimed at the programming novice
Realm of Racket

Learn Racket and programming, one game at a time

  • Sample game code comes with the Racket distribution
  • For those just starting out with Racket
PLAI

Foundations of programming languages

  • Understand the features that make languages tick
  • For undergraduates, graduate students, and experts
Semantics Engineering with PLT Redex

Lightweight automation for semantics

  • Model your own programming language semantics
  • For the working language engineer

Community

News & Events

RacketCon — the annual Racket meeting, coming up in September. Previously in 2012 and 2011.

Blog — announcements, helpful hints, and thoughtful rants.

Twitter — short bits of Racket news.

Discussion

Mailing lists — discussion for using and developing Racket.

IRC — Chat in the #racket channel on freenode.net — an informal discussion channel for all things related to Racket. (Browse the logs.)

People — The people behind Racket.

Contributing

Code — the Racket source code on GitHub.

Wiki — Useful pages include Intro Projects and Videos, including tutorials, interviews, and more.

Snapshot builds — The freshest versions of Racket.

Bug reports — File, query and maybe fix existing reports.