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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