merits of Lisp vs Python

[Robert Uhl]

Steven D'Aprano <steve at REMOVE.THIS.cybersource.com.au> writes:
>>> 
>>>> Yes. But you can't redefine 1+2 in Python, at least not without hacking
>>>> the interpreter. Can you redefine (+ 1 2) in Lisp? 
>>> 
>>> Not without barreling through error messages about name conflicts.
>> 
>> Ah, nice to get a straight answer to a question for a change, and without
>> an insult or a misrepresentation in sight. Thank you.
>
> Such a pity that answer is, apparently, wrong.
>
> Thank you to those who wrote back with the more accurate answer, which
> apparently is "yes, it is easy and there are no error messages".

Yes, you can do it if you want--but you have to explicitly say that
you're doing so.  In other words, it wouldn't happen by accident.  And
due to the package system, package A doing it wouldn't infect package B
unless B allowed it to.

In other words, you have to put the bullet in the chamber, take off the
safety and point the gun at your foot.

-- 
Robert Uhl <http://public.xdi.org/=ruhl>
What some idiot in Glasgow or NYC, what a million idiots do, has nothing
at all to do with me, I can only be judged by the actions I take with my
possessions.  To do anything else is to spit upon my existence as an
individual human.                                     --R.D. Metcalf