From 4eb2cf5c46e281303e373e25c2254b8ba3a2d79c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Yogthos <yogthos@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2026 17:29:39 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] core: move let and loop to the syntax tier
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let -> let* with destructuring pre-expanded via destructure (now exposed as a
clojure.core fn, which it is in Clojure too) so the compiler sees plain bindings —
analyze-bindings rejects patterns as uncompilable. loop -> loop* with raw bindings,
matching the prior Janet macro: loop can't pre-destructure without breaking recur
arity, so the interpreter handles pattern loops and the compiler falls back.

conformance 228x3, fixpoint, clojure-test-suite 3930.
---
 jolt-core/clojure/core/00-syntax.clj | 16 ++++++++++++++++
 src/jolt/core.janet                  | 24 ++----------------------
 2 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-)

diff --git a/jolt-core/clojure/core/00-syntax.clj b/jolt-core/clojure/core/00-syntax.clj
index 101241f..e558ea3 100644
--- a/jolt-core/clojure/core/00-syntax.clj
+++ b/jolt-core/clojure/core/00-syntax.clj
@@ -64,6 +64,22 @@
 ;; multi-arity); fn is just the public spelling.
 (defmacro fn [& args] `(fn* ~@args))
 
+;; let desugars destructuring patterns to plain bindings (via destructure) so the
+;; COMPILER sees only plain symbols — analyze-bindings rejects patterns as
+;; uncompilable, relying on this macro to have expanded them. (The interpreter
+;; could destructure let* directly, but the compiler can't.) let* is sequential, so
+;; a later init can reference an earlier destructured name. destructure is a
+;; clojure.core fn; calling it at expansion time is fine — it's interned at init.
+(defmacro let [bindings & body]
+  `(let* ~(destructure bindings) ~@body))
+
+;; loop -> loop* with raw bindings (matching the prior Janet macro). loop can't
+;; pre-destructure like let: that would change the binding count and break recur's
+;; arity. The interpreter destructures loop* directly; for destructuring loops the
+;; compiler falls back (a pre-existing limitation).
+(defmacro loop [bindings & body]
+  `(loop* ~bindings ~@body))
+
 ;; A fresh jolt symbol inside a macro body (a bare (gensym) returns a Janet symbol
 ;; the destructurer rejects). This defn compiles fine: by the time a tier triggers
 ;; the analyzer build the kernel is in place (the build is gated until then).
diff --git a/src/jolt/core.janet b/src/jolt/core.janet
index 50522c0..00e6a81 100644
--- a/src/jolt/core.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/core.janet
@@ -2433,25 +2433,6 @@
   (while (< i n) (d-process (in bindings i) (in bindings (+ i 1)) out) (+= i 2))
   (tuple/slice out))
 
-(defn core-let
-  "Macro: (let [bindings] body) → (let* [plain-bindings] body), expanding
-  destructuring patterns so the compiler/interpreter see only plain symbols."
-  [bindings & body]
-  (def result @[])
-  (array/push result {:jolt/type :symbol :ns nil :name "let*"})
-  (array/push result (core-destructure bindings))
-  (each b body (array/push result b))
-  result)
-
-(defn core-loop
-  "Macro: (loop [bindings] body) → (loop* [bindings] body)"
-  [bindings & body]
-  (def result @[])
-  (array/push result {:jolt/type :symbol :ns nil :name "loop*"})
-  (array/push result bindings)
-  (each b body (array/push result b))
-  result)
-
 # Protocol implementation — methods dispatch via type registry
 (defn core-defprotocol [protocol-name & sigs]
   (def result @[])
@@ -3424,8 +3405,7 @@
     "remove-all-methods" core-remove-all-methods
     "prefer-method" core-prefer-method
     "Object" core-Object
-    "let" core-let
-    "loop" core-loop
+    "destructure" core-destructure
     "defprotocol" core-defprotocol
     "extend-type" core-extend-type
     "extend-protocol" core-extend-protocol
@@ -3487,7 +3467,7 @@
 (defn core-macro-names
   "Set of core binding names that are macros."
   []
-  @{"when-let" true "defn" true "defn-" true "let" true "loop" true "defrecord" true "defprotocol" true "extend-type" true "extend-protocol" true "extend" true "reify" true "proxy" true "definterface" true "lazy-seq" true "lazy-cat" true})
+  @{"when-let" true "defn" true "defn-" true "defrecord" true "defprotocol" true "extend-type" true "extend-protocol" true "extend" true "reify" true "proxy" true "definterface" true "lazy-seq" true "lazy-cat" true})
 
 (def init-core!
   (fn [& args]