Racket is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language that is a descendant of Scheme, which itself is a dialect of Lisp. Developed to support both academic and practical programming, Racket combines the flexibility of functional programming with powerful macro systems, making it a great tool for experimenting with language design and creating domain-specific languages (DSLs).
Racket’s core features include first-class functions, a rich type system, and a robust macro system, which allows developers to extend the language's syntax and behavior to suit their specific needs. It also offers a comprehensive ecosystem, with built-in support for web programming, GUI development, and scripting, making it versatile for a variety of applications.
While Racket is often used in education to teach programming and computer science concepts, it is also used in research and industry for developing custom solutions and prototyping new programming ideas. Its emphasis on language-oriented programming and its deep connection to the Scheme and Lisp traditions make it a compelling choice for developers interested in functional programming and language design.