Re: Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme

prunesquallor_at_comcast.net
Date: 10/09/03 

Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2003 23:08:34 GMT

"Andrew Dalke" <adalke@mindspring.com> writes:

> Marco Antoniotti:
>> Come on. Haskell has a nice type system. Python is an application of
>> Greespun's Tenth Rule of programming.
>
> Oh? Where's the "bug-ridden" part? :)
>
> That assertion also ignores the influence of user studies (yes,
> research into how the syntax of a language affects its readabilty
> and understandability) on Python's development; a topic which
> is for the most part ignored in Lisp.

For some reason people who don't like fully parenthesized polish
notation seem to think that Lisp hackers don't know any better,
haven't seen anything else, and that if we were only shown the light,
we'd switch in an instant.

Allow me to point out that `standard algabraic notation' has been
available in Lisp for 40 years. McCarthy designed M-expressions for
Lisp in 1962 (if not earlier) and the Lisp 1.5 manual is written using
them.

Vaughn Pratt's CGOL (which I mentioned before) was written in 1977.

Dylan adopted an algabraic syntax sometime in the late 80's

In every one of these cases, algabraic syntax never quite caught on.

So either the syntax doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of difference
in readability, or readability doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of
difference in utility.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme
    ... > is for the most part ignored in Lisp. ... In every one of these cases, algabraic syntax never quite caught on. ... So either the syntax doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of difference ... in readability, or readability doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of ...
    (comp.lang.lisp)
  • Re: python3: where keyword
    ... >> a lot of effort for something which would hurt readability a lot. ... or even by a compiler from some other language. ... I belive in the Zen of Python. ... I don't want Python to be LISP. ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • Re: [OT] PostLisp, a language experiment
    ... >> in Lisp a case statement might even span many pages, ... >> up would not necessarily increase the readability or any reusability. ... (an excerpt from the SBCL sources). ... Being able to gain such efficiency without paying ...
    (comp.lang.lisp)
  • Re: my experience learning perl and common lisp so far
    ... Perl so far is hell because it seems to lack rhyme or reason. ... I can only hope that common lisp is ...
    (comp.lang.lisp)
  • Re: Programming Paradigms in Lisp
    ... > evaluation Lisp, such as: writability, readability, portability, ... > reliability, etc? ... It is a tool you can use to add programming paradigms to ...
    (comp.lang.lisp)