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

[Robin Munn]

Jacek Generowicz <jacek.generowicz at cern.ch> wrote:
> 
>> But what I'd really like before I try Lisp again is a special
>> color-highlighting mode that would distinguish between deeply-nested
>> parentheses, either coloring the parentheses themselves or else all
>> the text between said parentheses. Something like this:
>> 
>> (first
>>     (second
>>         (third
>>             (fourth
>>             )
>>         )
>>     )
>> )
> 
> (Point of information: dangling parentheses are most definitely NOT
> good Lisp code layout style.)
> 
>> where each indentation level would be a different color (foreground?
>> background?).
> 
> ... Just curious ... have you ever felt the need for such an
> indentation-based colour-highlighting feature when programming in
> Python?
> 
> If so, has the lack of it hindered you from programming in Python ?
> 
> If not, what makes you think that it would be useful in Lisp?

What I'm going off of here is my memory of having to count and re-count
parentheses as I was writing to make sure that I was putting in the
right number of closing parens to finish a structure. With
color-highlighting, I could at least be certain *at a glance* of which
paren was lining up with which. Yes, I know I could use % in vi, and
that there is some equivalent function in emacs, but that would be much
slower than just seeing it.

And no, I haven't needed indentation-based highlighting in Python. But
what I'm talking about isn't really indentation-based, it's
nesting-level based. And the reason for it is because I still don't
understand how to indent *properly* in Lisp, and can't find a good
reference on how to indent properly. Color highlighting would at least
give me the visual cues I need until I learn to indent.

Out of time. Must go.

-- 
Robin Munn <rmunn at pobox.com>
http://www.rmunn.com/
PGP key ID: 0x6AFB6838    50FF 2478 CFFB 081A 8338  54F7 845D ACFD 6AFB 6838