Replace hand-written evaluator with bootstrapped spec, emit flat Python

- evaluator.py: replace 1200 lines of hand-written eval with thin shim
  that re-exports from bootstrapped sx_ref.py
- bootstrap_py.py: emit all fn-bodied defines as `def` (not `lambda`),
  flatten tail-position if/cond/case/when to if/elif with returns,
  fix &rest handling in _emit_define_as_def
- platform_py.py: EvalError imports from evaluator.py so catches work
- __init__.py: remove SX_USE_REF conditional, always use bootstrapped
- tests/run.py: reset render_active after render tests for isolation
- Removes setrecursionlimit(5000) hack — no longer needed with flat code

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

shared/sx/__init__.py

@@ -31,20 +31,11 @@ from .parser import (
     parse_all,
     serialize,
 )
-import os as _os
+from .evaluator import (
-
+    EvalError,
-if _os.environ.get("SX_USE_REF") == "1":
+    evaluate,
-    from .ref.sx_ref import (
+    make_env,
-        EvalError,
+)
-        evaluate,
-        make_env,
-    )
-else:
-    from .evaluator import (
-        EvalError,
-        evaluate,
-        make_env,
-    )
 
 from .primitives import (
     all_primitives,

shared/sx/ref/bootstrap_py.py

@@ -635,11 +635,9 @@ class PyEmitter:
         pad = "    " * indent
         name = expr[1].name if isinstance(expr[1], Symbol) else str(expr[1])
         val_expr = expr[2]
-        # If value is a lambda/fn, check if body uses set! on let-bound vars
+        # Always emit fn-bodied defines as def statements for flat control flow
-        # and emit as def for proper mutation support
         if (isinstance(val_expr, list) and val_expr and
-                isinstance(val_expr[0], Symbol) and val_expr[0].name in ("fn", "lambda")
+                isinstance(val_expr[0], Symbol) and val_expr[0].name in ("fn", "lambda")):
-                and self._body_uses_set(val_expr)):
             return self._emit_define_as_def(name, val_expr, indent)
         val = self.emit(val_expr)
         return f"{pad}{self._mangle(name)} = {val}"
@@ -667,11 +665,23 @@ class PyEmitter:
         params = fn_expr[1]
         body = fn_expr[2:]
         param_names = []
-        for p in params:
+        i = 0
+        while i < len(params):
+            p = params[i]
+            if isinstance(p, Symbol) and p.name == "&rest":
+                if i + 1 < len(params):
+                    rest_name = self._mangle(params[i + 1].name if isinstance(params[i + 1], Symbol) else str(params[i + 1]))
+                    param_names.append(f"*{rest_name}")
+                    i += 2
+                    continue
+                else:
+                    i += 1
+                    continue
             if isinstance(p, Symbol):
                 param_names.append(self._mangle(p.name))
             else:
                 param_names.append(str(p))
+            i += 1
         params_str = ", ".join(param_names)
         py_name = self._mangle(name)
         # Find set! target variables that are used from nested lambda scopes
@@ -718,7 +728,8 @@ class PyEmitter:
         """Emit body expressions as statements into lines list.
 
         Handles let as local variable declarations, and returns the last
-        expression.
+        expression.  Control flow in tail position (if, cond, case, when)
+        is flattened to if/elif statements with returns in each branch.
         """
         pad = "    " * indent
         for i, expr in enumerate(body):
@@ -737,10 +748,126 @@ class PyEmitter:
                             lines.append(self.emit_statement(sub, indent))
                     continue
             if is_last:
-                lines.append(f"{pad}return {self.emit(expr)}")
+                self._emit_return_expr(expr, lines, indent)
             else:
                 lines.append(self.emit_statement(expr, indent))
 
+    def _emit_return_expr(self, expr, lines: list, indent: int) -> None:
+        """Emit an expression in return position, flattening control flow."""
+        pad = "    " * indent
+        if isinstance(expr, list) and expr and isinstance(expr[0], Symbol):
+            name = expr[0].name
+            if name == "if":
+                self._emit_if_return(expr, lines, indent)
+                return
+            if name == "cond":
+                self._emit_cond_return(expr, lines, indent)
+                return
+            if name == "case":
+                self._emit_case_return(expr, lines, indent)
+                return
+            if name == "when":
+                self._emit_when_return(expr, lines, indent)
+                return
+            if name in ("let", "let*"):
+                self._emit_let_as_stmts(expr, lines, indent, True)
+                return
+            if name in ("do", "begin"):
+                self._emit_body_stmts(expr[1:], lines, indent)
+                return
+        lines.append(f"{pad}return {self.emit(expr)}")
+
+    def _emit_if_return(self, expr, lines: list, indent: int) -> None:
+        """Emit if as statement with returns in each branch."""
+        pad = "    " * indent
+        lines.append(f"{pad}if sx_truthy({self.emit(expr[1])}):")
+        self._emit_return_expr(expr[2], lines, indent + 1)
+        if len(expr) > 3:
+            lines.append(f"{pad}else:")
+            self._emit_return_expr(expr[3], lines, indent + 1)
+        else:
+            lines.append(f"{pad}return NIL")
+
+    def _emit_when_return(self, expr, lines: list, indent: int) -> None:
+        """Emit when as statement with return in body, else return NIL."""
+        pad = "    " * indent
+        lines.append(f"{pad}if sx_truthy({self.emit(expr[1])}):")
+        body_parts = expr[2:]
+        if len(body_parts) == 1:
+            self._emit_return_expr(body_parts[0], lines, indent + 1)
+        else:
+            for b in body_parts[:-1]:
+                lines.append(self.emit_statement(b, indent + 1))
+            self._emit_return_expr(body_parts[-1], lines, indent + 1)
+        lines.append(f"{pad}return NIL")
+
+    def _emit_cond_return(self, expr, lines: list, indent: int) -> None:
+        """Emit cond as if/elif/else with returns in each branch."""
+        pad = "    " * indent
+        clauses = expr[1:]
+        if not clauses:
+            lines.append(f"{pad}return NIL")
+            return
+        is_scheme = (
+            all(isinstance(c, list) and len(c) == 2 for c in clauses)
+            and not any(isinstance(c, Keyword) for c in clauses)
+        )
+        has_else = False
+        first_clause = True
+        if is_scheme:
+            for clause in clauses:
+                test, body = clause[0], clause[1]
+                if ((isinstance(test, Symbol) and test.name in ("else", ":else")) or
+                        (isinstance(test, Keyword) and test.name == "else")):
+                    lines.append(f"{pad}else:")
+                    has_else = True
+                else:
+                    kw = "if" if first_clause else "elif"
+                    lines.append(f"{pad}{kw} sx_truthy({self.emit(test)}):")
+                    first_clause = False
+                self._emit_return_expr(body, lines, indent + 1)
+        else:
+            i = 0
+            while i < len(clauses) - 1:
+                test, body = clauses[i], clauses[i + 1]
+                if ((isinstance(test, Keyword) and test.name == "else") or
+                        (isinstance(test, Symbol) and test.name in ("else", ":else"))):
+                    lines.append(f"{pad}else:")
+                    has_else = True
+                else:
+                    kw = "if" if first_clause else "elif"
+                    lines.append(f"{pad}{kw} sx_truthy({self.emit(test)}):")
+                    first_clause = False
+                self._emit_return_expr(body, lines, indent + 1)
+                i += 2
+        if not has_else:
+            lines.append(f"{pad}return NIL")
+
+    def _emit_case_return(self, expr, lines: list, indent: int) -> None:
+        """Emit case as if/elif/else with returns in each branch."""
+        pad = "    " * indent
+        match_val = self.emit(expr[1])
+        clauses = expr[2:]
+        lines.append(f"{pad}_match = {match_val}")
+        has_else = False
+        first_clause = True
+        i = 0
+        while i < len(clauses) - 1:
+            test = clauses[i]
+            body = clauses[i + 1]
+            if ((isinstance(test, Keyword) and test.name == "else") or
+                    (isinstance(test, Symbol) and test.name in ("else", ":else"))):
+                lines.append(f"{pad}else:")
+                has_else = True
+            else:
+                kw = "if" if first_clause else "elif"
+                lines.append(f"{pad}{kw} _match == {self.emit(test)}:")
+                first_clause = False
+            self._emit_return_expr(body, lines, indent + 1)
+            i += 2
+        if not has_else:
+            lines.append(f"{pad}return NIL")
+
     def _emit_let_as_stmts(self, expr, lines: list, indent: int, is_last: bool) -> None:
         """Emit a let expression as local variable declarations."""
         pad = "    " * indent

shared/sx/ref/platform_py.py

@@ -578,8 +578,11 @@ def sx_expr_source(x):
     return x.source if isinstance(x, SxExpr) else str(x)
 
 
-class EvalError(Exception):
+try:
-    pass
+    from shared.sx.evaluator import EvalError
+except ImportError:
+    class EvalError(Exception):
+        pass
 
 
 def _sx_append(lst, item):

shared/sx/tests/run.py

@@ -771,6 +771,15 @@ def main():
             print(f"# --- {spec_name} ---")
             eval_file(spec["file"], env)
 
+            # Reset render state after render tests to avoid leaking
+            # into subsequent specs (bootstrapped evaluator checks render_active)
+            if spec_name == "render":
+                try:
+                    from shared.sx.ref.sx_ref import set_render_active_b
+                    set_render_active_b(False)
+                except ImportError:
+                    pass
+
     # Summary
     print()
     print(f"1..{test_num}")