Why is Python popular, while Lisp and Scheme aren't?

[Carl Banks]

Delaney, Timothy wrote:
> But I suspect that for an expert in *both* languages, Python is
> still more readable, even when Lisp is nicely formatted.


I more than agree.  

In Lisp, assignment looks like dictionary (hash table) access which
looks like attribute access which looks like list construction which
looks like looping which looks like class definitions.

In Python, all of those things look visually distinct, more or less.
Consequently, they require less mental effort.

Want to scan a function to find out where a certain variable is
defined?  It's much easier in Python, because assignment looks
different from everything else.

I program in both Python and Common Lisp; I wouldn't call myself
fluent in Lisp (yet), but I think Python is easier to read than Lisp
by a mile.


-- 
CARL BANKS