merits of Lisp vs Python

[Slawomir Nowaczyk]

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:33:32 -0800
Paul Rubin <"http://phr.cx"@NOSPAM.invalid> wrote:

#> I V <wrongbad at gmail.com> writes:
#> > > Also, Python does not support a functional style of programming so the 
#> > > line is the only meaningful textual entity. In this sense the 
#> > > primitiveness of Python makes editing easier.
#> > 
#> > Why do you say that? Wouldn't a block in python be a "meaningful textual
#> > entity" in the same way a lisp form would be?
#> 
#> You normally wouldn't refactor Python code by moving an indented block
#> to the inside of an expression.  That is done all the time in Lisp.

You mean, you actually take something like else-form from an if and put
it inside, say, a multiplication? Sure, that is something you don't do
in Python often.

What you do in Python is take a block from one branch of "if" statement
and put it somewhere else (in a for loop, for example).

Sure, this requires you indent the block properly, although I am 100%
sure that I could teach emacs to adjust indentation automatically has I
needed to. I just never felt the need.

-- 
 Best wishes,
   Slawomir Nowaczyk
     ( Slawomir.Nowaczyk at cs.lth.se )

Programming:  The art of debugging a blank sheet of paper
(or, in these days of on-line editing, the art of debugging an empty file).