merits of Lisp vs Python

[Stephen Eilert]

JShrager at gmail.com escreveu:

> > Yes, but these are community symbols or tribe marks. They don't have
> > much meaning per se, just like the language name or a corporate
> > identity.
>
> Unfortunately, I don't believe that this is entirely correct....I do
> lurk c.l.p and see quite often people arguing (if briefly) about what
> the one (and preferably only one) obvious way of doing things is. This
> is only subtly ridiculous. The other ("It fits your brain") is much
> less subtle, and much more problematic:
>
> Now, I'm willing to buy that "it fits your brain" is taken less
> seriously, but ...
>
> > However they express an attitude ( being easy and free from
> > language design redundancy ) that can be measured at least subjectively
> > by the user. If Ruby "fits the brain" better, then people will simply
> > drop Python in future or right now. There is nothing deep about it.
>
> ...if not deep, at least insidious, as demonstrated in part by the
> current thread wherein, until forced to give it up, the present
> pythonistas spent a significant number of chars trying to arguing, in
> effect, that Lisp does NOT fit (one's) brain (e.g, is easier to use,
> easier to learn, etc.) IN GENERAL. It seems to me (here and on c.l.p)
> that many pythonista have somehow drunk this Koolaide and that as a
> result have a sort of smug superiority about it. Of course, Lispers
> have a smug superiority as well, but at least we have actual language
> features (macros, compositionality, compilers) to wave around, not
> ridiculous pop psychological noise.

Right.

So, let's suppose I now want to learn LISP (I did try, on several
occasions). What I would like to do would be to replace Python and code
GUI applications. Yes, those boring business-like applications that
have to access databases and consume those new-fangled web-services and
whatnot. Heck, maybe even code games using DirectX.

So, how would I do that? For Python, that was simple. I learned the
basics, then moved to the libraries, learning as I went. Python has
some excelent online resources.

No, I don't want to see yet another Fibonacci example. No, console
output is not fun. And yes, I know about this list processing stuff.
All I can find are introductions to LISP written for computer science
courses. I can't seem to put together all those mnemonics into a
working program. LISP is full of primitives with 3-4 characters, chosen
for historical reasons.

The bottom line is that I didn't have a pleasant learning experience.
Perhaps the lispers here could offer some insights?


Stephen