Home Original page

merits of Lisp vs Python

Ken Tilton kentilton at gmail.com
Thu Dec 14 00:52:22 EST 2006 
Paul Rubin wrote:
> Ken Tilton <kentilton at gmail.com> writes:
> 
>>don't know. The point is, we need code (not just data) in defskill
>>(apologies for nasty formatting):
> 
> 
> Man that whole thing is messy.  I can't for the life of me understand
> why it's so important to use a macro for that.  Even in Lisp, I'd
> probably set up the reverse thingie as an auxiliary function.

And when you got to skill 42 and you discovered you needed a new 
optional argument to the reversal method you would throw up your hands 
and register for bartending school rather than go edit the other 41.

defskill is writing my code for me. When things change, I have it write 
different code. Implementation is hidden, even from the programmer. I am 
one step removed from the code when writing a macro. This is the "meta" 
in metaprogramming.

ken

-- 
Algebra: http://www.tilton-technology.com/LispNycAlgebra1.htm

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five
years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally
won out over it." -- Elwood P. Dowd

"I'll say I'm losing my grip, and it feels terrific."
    -- Smiling husband to scowling wife, New Yorker cartoon
More information about the Python-list mailing list