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diff --git a/lib/scheme/tests/parse.sx b/lib/scheme/tests/parse.sx
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+;; lib/scheme/tests/parse.sx — exercises lib/scheme/parser.sx.
+
+(define scm-test-pass 0)
+(define scm-test-fail 0)
+(define scm-test-fails (list))
+
+(define
+  scm-test
+  (fn
+    (name actual expected)
+    (if
+      (= actual expected)
+      (set! scm-test-pass (+ scm-test-pass 1))
+      (begin
+        (set! scm-test-fail (+ scm-test-fail 1))
+        (append! scm-test-fails {:name name :actual actual :expected expected})))))
+
+;; ── numbers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "num: integer" (scheme-parse "42") 42)
+(scm-test "num: zero" (scheme-parse "0") 0)
+(scm-test "num: negative" (scheme-parse "-17") -17)
+(scm-test "num: float" (scheme-parse "3.14") 3.14)
+(scm-test "num: exponent" (scheme-parse "1e3") 1000)
+(scm-test "num: negative float" (scheme-parse "-2.5") -2.5)
+
+;; ── booleans ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "bool: #t" (scheme-parse "#t") true)
+(scm-test "bool: #true" (scheme-parse "#true") true)
+(scm-test "bool: #f" (scheme-parse "#f") false)
+(scm-test "bool: #false" (scheme-parse "#false") false)
+
+;; ── strings ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "str: empty" (scheme-string-value (scheme-parse "\"\"")) "")
+(scm-test
+  "str: hello"
+  (scheme-string-value (scheme-parse "\"hello\""))
+  "hello")
+(scm-test "str: predicate" (scheme-string? (scheme-parse "\"x\"")) true)
+(scm-test "str: not symbol" (scheme-string? (scheme-parse "x")) false)
+(scm-test
+  "str: escape newline"
+  (scheme-string-value (scheme-parse "\"a\\nb\""))
+  "a\nb")
+(scm-test
+  "str: escape tab"
+  (scheme-string-value (scheme-parse "\"a\\tb\""))
+  "a\tb")
+(scm-test
+  "str: escape quote"
+  (scheme-string-value (scheme-parse "\"a\\\"b\""))
+  "a\"b")
+
+;; ── symbols ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "sym: word" (scheme-parse "foo") "foo")
+(scm-test "sym: hyphenated" (scheme-parse "set-car!") "set-car!")
+(scm-test "sym: question mark" (scheme-parse "null?") "null?")
+(scm-test "sym: arrow" (scheme-parse "->") "->")
+(scm-test "sym: lt-eq" (scheme-parse "<=") "<=")
+(scm-test "sym: bare plus" (scheme-parse "+") "+")
+(scm-test "sym: bare minus" (scheme-parse "-") "-")
+(scm-test "sym: dot-prefixed" (scheme-parse ".foo") ".foo")
+
+;; ── characters ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "char: single" (scheme-char-value (scheme-parse "#\\a")) "a")
+(scm-test "char: space" (scheme-char-value (scheme-parse "#\\space")) " ")
+(scm-test "char: newline" (scheme-char-value (scheme-parse "#\\newline")) "\n")
+(scm-test "char: tab" (scheme-char-value (scheme-parse "#\\tab")) "\t")
+(scm-test "char: predicate" (scheme-char? (scheme-parse "#\\x")) true)
+(scm-test "char: digit" (scheme-char-value (scheme-parse "#\\5")) "5")
+
+;; ── vectors ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "vec: empty" (scheme-vector-elements (scheme-parse "#()")) (list))
+(scm-test
+  "vec: numbers"
+  (scheme-vector-elements (scheme-parse "#(1 2 3)"))
+  (list 1 2 3))
+(scm-test "vec: predicate" (scheme-vector? (scheme-parse "#(1)")) true)
+(scm-test "vec: not list" (scheme-vector? (scheme-parse "(1)")) false)
+;; Nested vector: SX `=` doesn't deep-compare dicts-with-list-values
+;; reliably under this CEK path, so check structure piecewise.
+(scm-test "vec: nested first"
+  (first (scheme-vector-elements (scheme-parse "#(a #(b c) d)"))) "a")
+(scm-test "vec: nested second is vector"
+  (scheme-vector?
+    (nth (scheme-vector-elements (scheme-parse "#(a #(b c) d)")) 1))
+  true)
+(scm-test "vec: nested second elements"
+  (scheme-vector-elements
+    (nth (scheme-vector-elements (scheme-parse "#(a #(b c) d)")) 1))
+  (list "b" "c"))
+
+;; ── lists ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "list: empty" (scheme-parse "()") (list))
+(scm-test "list: flat" (scheme-parse "(a b c)") (list "a" "b" "c"))
+(scm-test
+  "list: nested"
+  (scheme-parse "(a (b c) d)")
+  (list "a" (list "b" "c") "d"))
+(scm-test
+  "list: mixed atoms"
+  (scheme-parse "(1 #t foo)")
+  (list 1 true "foo"))
+
+;; ── reader macros ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "quote: 'foo" (scheme-parse "'foo") (list "quote" "foo"))
+(scm-test
+  "quote: '(a b c)"
+  (scheme-parse "'(a b c)")
+  (list "quote" (list "a" "b" "c")))
+(scm-test "quasiquote: `x" (scheme-parse "`x") (list "quasiquote" "x"))
+(scm-test "unquote: ,x" (scheme-parse ",x") (list "unquote" "x"))
+(scm-test
+  "unquote-splicing: ,@x"
+  (scheme-parse ",@x")
+  (list "unquote-splicing" "x"))
+(scm-test
+  "qq mix"
+  (scheme-parse "`(a ,b ,@c)")
+  (list
+    "quasiquote"
+    (list "a" (list "unquote" "b") (list "unquote-splicing" "c"))))
+
+;; ── comments ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "comment: line" (scheme-parse "; nope\n42") 42)
+(scm-test "comment: trailing" (scheme-parse "42 ; tail") 42)
+(scm-test
+  "comment: inside list"
+  (scheme-parse "(a ; mid\n  b)")
+  (list "a" "b"))
+(scm-test "comment: block simple" (scheme-parse "#| skip |# 42") 42)
+(scm-test
+  "comment: block nested"
+  (scheme-parse "#| outer #| inner |# done |# 42")
+  42)
+(scm-test "comment: datum #;" (scheme-parse "#;skipme 42") 42)
+(scm-test
+  "comment: datum skips list"
+  (scheme-parse "#;(1 2 3) 42")
+  42)
+
+;; ── parse-all ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test "all: empty" (scheme-parse-all "") (list))
+(scm-test
+  "all: three forms"
+  (scheme-parse-all "1 2 3")
+  (list 1 2 3))
+(scm-test
+  "all: mixed"
+  (scheme-parse-all "(if #t 1 2) foo")
+  (list (list "if" true 1 2) "foo"))
+
+;; ── classic Scheme idioms ─────────────────────────────────────────
+(scm-test
+  "classic: lambda"
+  (scheme-parse "(lambda (x) (+ x 1))")
+  (list "lambda" (list "x") (list "+" "x" 1)))
+(scm-test
+  "classic: define"
+  (scheme-parse "(define (sq x) (* x x))")
+  (list "define" (list "sq" "x") (list "*" "x" "x")))
+(scm-test
+  "classic: let"
+  (scheme-parse "(let ((x 1) (y 2)) (+ x y))")
+  (list
+    "let"
+    (list (list "x" 1) (list "y" 2))
+    (list "+" "x" "y")))
+(scm-test
+  "classic: if"
+  (scheme-parse "(if (zero? n) 1 (* n (fact (- n 1))))")
+  (list
+    "if"
+    (list "zero?" "n")
+    1
+    (list "*" "n" (list "fact" (list "-" "n" 1)))))
+
+(define scm-tests-run! (fn () {:total (+ scm-test-pass scm-test-fail) :passed scm-test-pass :failed scm-test-fail :fails scm-test-fails}))