[Gnu-arch-users] Re: OT: Lisp

[Miles Bader]

Joshua Haberman <address@hidden> writes:
> It also leaves me with the impression that lisp is primarily the domain
> of language tinkering as opposed to being a productive tool, especially
> if the language is constantly morphing.

That hasn't proven to be the case.

One of lisp's strengths is that the two (`language tinkering' and `being
a productive tool') aren't at all incompatible, and can take place
simultaneously.  Some reasons I can see for this:

  (1) Any `language tinkering' takes place within the existing low-level
      syntax, and so doesn't disrupt unrelated code (unlike changing the
      low-level syntax)

  (2) There are well-established conventions for making new syntax

  (3) It's really, really, really, simple

The result is that if your life would be made easier by some special
syntax, you can just get down and do it, without spending a lot of time
dicking around with the details, and you're a lot more likely to do it
right the first time.

-Miles
-- 
`Life is a boundless sea of bitterness'