A critic of Guido's blog on Python's lambda

[Alex Martelli]

Ken Tilton <kentilton at gmail.com> wrote:
   ...
> Why? (symbol-name '|(|) -> "("  (No, the "s are not part of the name!)
> 
> If you want to argue about that, I will have to bring up the Lisp 
> readtable. Or did you forget that, too?

Mea culpa -- it wasn't in the Lisp(s) I used 25+ years ago, nor in
Scheme; I've never used Common Lisp in anger, and obviously "just
dabbling" gives one no good feel for how *INSANELY COMPLICATED* (or, if
you prefer, "insanely extensible") it truly is.

I personally think these gyrations are a good example of why Python, the
language that "fits your brain" and has simplicity among its goals, is
vastly superior for production purposes.  Nevertheless, I admit I was
wrong!


Alex