Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme

[Edi Weitz]

On 03 Oct 2003 13:37:32 +0200, Matthias <no at spam.pls> wrote:

> I think that's incorrect: The Common Lisp language has no FFI
> (foreign function call) capabilities.  Each CL _implementation_ has
> one (which is usually compatible to itself).  This is exactly the
> reason why there are way more libraries out there for Python, Perl,
> maybe Ruby than for any single CL implementation.  The same probably
> holds for Scheme.

I'd say the Python /language/ also has no FFI capabilities. Either
that, or the Jython people are lying when they say that Jython "is an
implementation of the [...] language Python."  (On the same website:
"Many of these modules are not yet implemented. Those coded in C for
CPython must be re-implemented in Java for Jython.")

Common Lisp and Scheme are languages defined by ANSI standards -
that's why you can have different implementations. Python, Perl, and
Ruby are defined by a reference implementation. You're comparing
apples and oranges.

Edi.