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Why is Python popular, while Lisp and Scheme aren't?

Pascal Costanza costanza at web.de
Sun Nov 24 20:41:24 EST 2002 
Pascal Costanza wrote:
> Alexander Schmolck wrote:
> 
>> Pascal Costanza <costanza at web.de> writes:
>>
>>
>>> [...]
>>>
>>>
>>>> python: CL: x = list[index] (elt arrayOrList index)
>>>
>>>
>>>> x = hash[key]                     (gethash key  hash) ;; *why* this 
>>>> arg-order?
>>>> x = myType[indexOrKey]            ; no generalized item access
>>>>                                                                                   
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> [etc.]
>>>
>>> Unified access is always a bit problematic. You should not access a 
>>> list  (in Common Lisp) by index because the list must always be 
>>> traversed up to the index on each access. (As far as I understand, 
>>> what Python calls 
>>
>>
>>
>> Of course you usually don't but then I can't see why this is an argument
>> against unified access (I don't want to abolish car and cdr and the 
>> writing of
>> nice recursive functions that manipulate lists with them).
> 
> 
> My guess is that the CL designers wanted us to make conscious decisions 
> in this regard, so they opted for "non-unified" access by default. But I 
> admit that I am not sure about what's the best option here and I see 
> that you have some points.

Some more considerations can be found at 
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=sfwvgcbct4x.fsf%40shell01.TheWorld.com


Pascal

-- 
Given any rule, however ‘fundamental’ or ‘necessary’ for science, there 
are always circumstances when it is advisable not only to ignore the 
rule, but to adopt its opposite. - Paul Feyerabend
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