I remember finding the SICP in our university’s library as a freshman, me and a friend (both of us had never used scheme) had a lot of fun going through the first chapter together.
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
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Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#42There's kind of a reason why SICP was written in Scheme in mind and not a blub language...
Were you going to let the rest of us mere mortals in on the reason? I think it's good to offer a version of SICP adapted to a language that's used today very prominently and is relevant to many current jobs in the industry.
Why? Why does a textbook about fundamental principles need to be 'adapted' to technology currently in use in industry?
The Feynman Lectures uses an example of a screw jack with 10 threads per inch, and a 20" lever. Should we update this to a name brand screw jack with 8 or 16 threads per inch, and an 18" breaker bar, because those are common in industry today?
Be sure to extend the introduction of that chapter to include a history of this particular screw jack company, and who currently holds the trademark, and all the major companies that make screw jacks today, and typical uses of jacks, and how they're constructed [1].
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
So you won't allow "Lisp in C's clothing"? https://www.crockford.com/javascript/javascript.html
rebuttal https://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/2013/07/18/javascript-isn... although I don't necessarily agree that JavaScript is so minimal anymore.
This rebuttal isn't worth much, as it was written back when js was a much different language, some 2 years before let/const, promises and probably half of what modern js developers use day-to-day. It is also way too snarky to take it seriously. Not gonna lie, it was a fun read though.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
“There are only two kinds of languages: the ones people complain about and the ones nobody uses.” ― Bjarne Stroustrup
The cpp 2020 is 2000 pages. There comes a point when a language is a valid target of complaints.
Still better than n-page v2 and m-page v3.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#45There's kind of a reason why SICP was written in Scheme in mind and not a blub language...
Hint: PG's little web shop would have been exactly as successful in PHP.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#46There's kind of a reason why SICP was written in Scheme in mind and not a blub language...
Were you going to let the rest of us mere mortals in on the reason? I think it's good to offer a version of SICP adapted to a language that's used today very prominently and is relevant to many current jobs in the industry.
SICP is about exploring various programming concepts and paradigms like functional, object-oriented, constraint-based, lazy evaluation and so on. Scheme happens to be the perfect vehicle for this, since its support for code-as-data makes it much easier to implement new sub-languages and evaluation forms.
SICP is not about learning any particular language, it is about learning concepts which will make you understand JavaScript much better than anyone who only knows JavaScript.
If having to learn a new language like Scheme is an impediment to starting SICP, then you will not get past the first chapter anyway.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
Were you going to let the rest of us mere mortals in on the reason? I think it's good to offer a version of SICP adapted to a language that's used today very prominently and is relevant to many current jobs in the industry.
Why? Why does a textbook about fundamental principles need to be 'adapted' to technology currently in use in industry? The Feynman Lectures uses an example of a screw jack with 10 threads per inch, and a 20" lever. Should we update this to a name brand screw jack with 8 or 16 threads per inch, and an 18" breaker bar, because those are common in industry today? Be sure to extend the introduction of that chapter to inc…
> Why? Why does a textbook about fundamental principles need to be 'adapted' to technology currently in use in industry?
Because it's widely used in the industry.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#48Adaption - another term for adaptation.
I was sure it wasn't a real word but you're correct, it's an alternative (but less common) spelling.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#49Every now and then a great movie comes out. Then it gets its American remake. It's been proven you can put Al Pacino, Robert de Niro and Bruce Willis in any movie (with predictable results!). This is the book equivalent of an American remake for me.
Is Javascript the new pseudocode? Honestly I'd rather be forced to learn a new language to understand a book than to read the book adapted to JS.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs – JavaScript Adaptation
#50There's kind of a reason why SICP was written in Scheme in mind and not a blub language...
Hal Abelson thinks that javascript is Today's Scheme. That is is carrying the flame of the ideas of Scheme forward.
What's your source for that? Not that I doubt you, I just can't find any record of him saying that.