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

Kenny Tilton ktilton at nyc.rr.com
Tue Nov 19 12:19:36 EST 2002


Greg Neumann wrote:

> There are two things which make me cringe.  1) When a Pythonista
> complains about allergies to strange delimiters, and 2) when a Lisper
> calls other languages too slow.

The numbers I hear are that CL runs on average 20% slower than C. In 
some cases faster or as fast. Sounds fast to me, esp given the 
expressive power one gets from CL.

otoh, it is easy to screw up and write incredibly slow Lisp, and I 
myself do that from time to time. But then I just use the built-in TIME 
function to find out where and fix my howler.

i'll also concede that to get good numeric performance one needs to add 
declarations one can normally leave out.

-- 

  kenny tilton
  clinisys, inc
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
""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




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