Why Lisp is Awesome

#1

Post by floater » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 7:57 PM UTC

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#2

Post by clueless123 » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 8:15 PM UTC

For the longest time I've heard that "Lisp is awesome", but no reasons why and when I've asked why, the answer is usually, "you have to try it to see it"

This article is a pretty nice down to earth point by point explanation why list is so cool. My question is: is that it ? lambdas, data is code, dynamic programing.. I mean those features are cool, but could someone post some more clear examples of why lisp is awesome?

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#3

Post by asolove » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 8:21 PM UTC

clueless123 wrote: post #2

For the longest time I've heard that "Lisp is awesome", but no reasons why and when I've asked why, the answer is usually, "you have to try it to see it" This article is a pretty nice down to earth point by point explanation why list is so cool. My question is: is that it ? lambdas, data is code, dynamic programing.. I mean those features are cool, but could someone post some more clear examples of why lisp is awesom…

See the HN-famous books "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs," "Paradigms of Artificial Intelligence Programming," and "On Lisp."

The claim is that Lisp is a language at a higher level of abstraction. You will have to study hard to be able to appreciate that level, but it cannot be explained in another way.

Imagine explaining Calculus to a high school Physics student. You're likely to get back: "But I can find the acceleration of an object by using normal algebra and subtracting its position at two different times!" Calculus is hard, its benefits are not clearly better than approximation or high school algebra until you reach a level at which you brain thinks of Calculus as fundamental and sees the old equations as merely derived, less-powerful versions.

Why would you expect a mind-expanding language to be any easier to explain?

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#4

Post by DrJokepu » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 8:49 PM UTC

Many of these features are actually quite common in other languages. For example, C# has lambdas, functions as first class objects, closures, dynamic programming, null coalescence etc. The real power of Lisp in my opinion is not the existence of these features but the way they perfectly fit into the S-Expression syntax.

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#5

Post by sokoloff » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 8:51 PM UTC

If anyone misses Geocities or myspace, look at this site in IE. I'm not sure what exactly the point of (seemingly) intentionally making your blog site readable in FF and outrageously hard to read in IE is...

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#6

Post by clueless123 » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 8:57 PM UTC

asolove wrote: post #3

clueless123 wrote: post #2

For the longest time I've heard that "Lisp is awesome", but no reasons why and when I've asked why, the answer is usually, "you have to try it to see it" This article is a pretty nice down to earth point by point explanation why list is so cool. My question is: is that it ? lambdas, data is code, dynamic programing.. I mean those features are cool, but could someone post some more clear examples of why lisp is awesom…

See the HN-famous books "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs," "Paradigms of Artificial Intelligence Programming," and "On Lisp." The claim is that Lisp is a language at a higher level of abstraction. You will have to study hard to be able to appreciate that level, but it cannot be explained in another way. Imagine explaining Calculus to a high school Physics student. You're likely to get back: "But I c…

Dude... that is a very good analogy! point well taken.

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#7

Post by jordyhoyt » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 9:00 PM UTC

sokoloff wrote: post #5

If anyone misses Geocities or myspace, look at this site in IE. I'm not sure what exactly the point of (seemingly) intentionally making your blog site readable in FF and outrageously hard to read in IE is...

Seems entirely intentional...

I find it pretty hilarious, myself. The site is quite nice in firefox, but I would have immediately turned away if I were using ie. He must be making some assumptions about his readers.

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#8

Post by abstractbill » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 9:07 PM UTC

DrJokepu wrote: post #4

Many of these features are actually quite common in other languages. For example, C# has lambdas, functions as first class objects, closures, dynamic programming, null coalescence etc. The real power of Lisp in my opinion is not the existence of these features but the way they perfectly fit into the S-Expression syntax.

Right. Mainstream languages have been gradually evolving towards Lisp but until they adopt a simple uniform syntax they won't get real macros, which I think is the biggest difference between Lisp and other languages today.

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#9

Post by rntz » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 9:08 PM UTC

This isn't why Lisp is awesome. This is why Lisp was awesome, back 50 years ago. Every single one of these features has since been adopted by mainstream scripting languages. What still sets Lisp apart is its metalinguistic capability - macros (hygienic or not).

Re: Why Lisp is Awesome

#10

Post by joevandyk » Wed, Jan 06, 2010, 9:12 PM UTC

rntz wrote: post #9

This isn't why Lisp is awesome. This is why Lisp was awesome, back 50 years ago. Every single one of these features has since been adopted by mainstream scripting languages. What still sets Lisp apart is its metalinguistic capability - macros (hygienic or not).

Why would adopting language X's features make X less awesome?