Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme

[Hartmann Schaffer]

In article <raffaelcavallaro-583E78.11332714102003 at netnews.attbi.com>,
	Raffael Cavallaro <raffaelcavallaro at junk.mail.me.not.mac.com> writes:
> In article <8yno1dvi.fsf at comcast.net>, prunesquallor at comcast.net wrote:
> 
>> (flet ((add-offset (x) (+ x offset)))
>>     (map 'list #'add-offset some-list))
> 
> But flet is just lambda in drag. I mean real, named functions, with 
> defun. Then the code becomes:
> 
> (add-offset the-list)
> 
> instead of either of theversions you gave.

the version he gave has the advantage that it doesn't clutter up the
namespace of the environment.  with

(map (lambda (x) (+ x offset)) the-list)

you have everything that is relevant in the immediate neighborhood of
the statement.  with a separate defun you have to search the program
to see what the function does.  i agree that for lengthy functions
defining it separately and just writing the name is preferrable.

> ...
> I guess I'm arguing that the low level implementation details should not 
> be inlined by the programmer, but by the compiler. To my eye, anonymous 
> functions look like programmer inlining.

i would call this a misconception

hs

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