LISP Rocks! (was: Re: Python Rocks! :-)

[François Pinard]

Timothy Grant <tjg at avalongroup.net> écrit:

> > My humble feeling is that you need your editor fixed, and that you report
> > the problem you have as being one of Python language design.

> A good editor makes such a huge difference that I can barely work in
> one that doesn't have a "python" mode and syntax highlighting.

I learned LISP on batch systems, using punched cards.  You cannot easily
shift parentheses right or left on punched cards (yes, I know the trick
of duplicating cards while pressing with the thumb on one of the card,
so it sticks still despite the rollers).  We did not have much context to
check vertical alignment of parentheses.  We were counting and balancing
parentheses all the time, really.  Program listings were double-line spaced,
with every other line holding counters below each parenthesis.  Many people
said that LISP stands for `Lots of Insipid and Stupid Parentheses'. :-)

Now that editors automatically take care of proper indentation, and quickly
show me how parentheses match, parenthesis counting wholly disappeared.
It is real, total comfort.  LISP is easier now than ever.  Yet, it never
occurred to us that it could have been ill-designed, because uneasy to punch.

P.S. - SNOBOL was particularly uneasy to punch.  Multi-punches all the time.
Do some remember? ;-)

-- 
François Pinard   http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~pinard