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That’s because Python is a bad language for writing parser combinators and parsers based on them. Try Haskell.

I have written parsers using parser combinators in Haskell and Clojure. I find that ML-like (Haskell, OCaml, StandardML) languages generally are great at writing parsers, even hand-written ones in it is a superior experience.

In this case, this was a project at $EMPLOYER in an existing codebase with colleagues who have never seen Haskell code, using Haskell would've been a major error in judgement.

I agree!

Haskell is a great language. It can even be a great language for beginners, especially if there's some senior help on hand.

But it's a terrible language to foist upon an unsuspecting and even unwilling victim.

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