Why aren't we all speaking LISP now?

[Grant Edwards]

On 12 May 2001 12:47:56 -0400, Andrew Kuchling <akuchlin at mems-exchange.org> wrote:

>> Why do people think Python is so Lisp-like? I just don't get
>
>I'm reading Paul Graham's book _ANSI Common Lisp_ right now
>(*excellent* book, BTW, at least so far), and can think of a few
>parallels:

Most of my "Lisp" experience is with Scheme.  So that's
probably why I don't see the connection.

>* Uncluttered syntax, depending on your definition of uncluttered.
>
>* Treatment of references and assignment is quite similar. 
>
>* High-level data structures included, so you don't have to reinvent them.

Here is where Scheme must be different.  There are no
high-level data structures other than lists.

>* A large standard library, though Lisp's seems to focus more on data
>  structures than on OS or network interfaces.

The Scheme "standard libarary" isn't quite so large or standard.

>I don't think tail recursion, or even frequent use of recursion, is
>necessarily a hallmark of Lisp; you could do everything in iterative
>style if you preferred.

I suppose so.  Maybe I'm the odd man out when I write Scheme: I
use recursion to process lists.

-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  HUGH BEAUMONT died
                                  at               in 1982!!
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