Consider this just a prototype :) It's parsed with a slightly hacked version of Parse::RecDescent, and then compiled into parrot assembler using Perl 5. As such, its really slow. Don't fret though. The real perl6 compiler will probably be written in pasm or C, and parsed with perl6 grammar; it will be really fast.

As for objects - like Elian said, not even close. After Larry issues his proclamation from on high about the syntax in Apoc 6, several things will need to be done. First, code needs to be added to the grammar to support objects. Next, a node definition will need to be added, and then a tree representation defined. Finally, a compilition method to convert the tree representation to parrot bytecode needs to be added to the compiler itself. Also, subroutine functionality needs to be completed before methods can work.

If you'd like to help with any of this, you should contact Sean O'Rouke (known to frequent perl6-internals), the brain behind this monster :)

If you'd like to help with any of this, you should contact Sean O'Rouke.

I really would love to help out, but parrot is far over my head at this point since I have the barest understanding of C. I should point out that I have decided to learn C/C++ and have picked up a copy of Thinking in C++ to help me get started with a low-level language. It has a good thick chapter on the C you need to know C++ too. :-) Once I know C I can help out with parrot development.

Would perusing the parrot sources be helpful to me in my quest to learn C? If so, I can kill two birds with one stone (pun intended :-)

Believe it or not, the perl6 prototype is done entirely in perl5. So are many other parts of parrot (for instance, the parrot assembler.) Learning pasm would be very useful, and knowing c helps too (in case you need to look at the source). So there you go :)

Don't know that I'd count on a working perl 6 distribution until after Larry finishes the definiton, though. :)