OFF-TOPIC:: Why Lisp is not my favorite programming language

[Jacek Generowicz]

Stephen Horne <steve at ninereeds.fsnet.co.uk> writes:

> It wouldn't surprise me. LISP is normally interpreted - maybe
> always,

Hmm.

Lemme see, here are some popular Common Lisp systems:

Clisp: http://clisp.cons.org/ - includes an interpreter and bytecode
compiler.

CMUCL: http://www.cons.org/cmucl/ - includes an interpreter bytecode
complier and native compiler.

SBCL: http://sbcl.sourceforge.net/ - has no interpreter; interactive REPL[1]
complies everything to native immediately.

OpenMCL: http://openmcl.clozure.com/ - has no interpreter; interactive
REPL compiles everything to native.

Allegro: http://www.franz.com/products/ - includes an interpreter and
native compiler.

LispWorks: http://www.lispworks.com/ - includes an interpreter and
native compiler.

MCL: http://www.digitool.com/ - has no interpreter; interactive REPL compiles
everything to native as soon as it is entered.

Corman: http://www.cormanlisp.com/ - includes a native compiler



[1] REPL - Read Eval Print Loop. Essentially what Python's interactive
    shell is.


Now just what do you mean when you say "LISP is normally interpreted" ?

(Note: only one of the 8 systems mentioned above does not have a
native compilation facility, while three of them give you no way of
avoiding compiling to native.)