A few years ago I was trying to pick a language to learn and I was torn between Python and Lisp. I worked through some of the Wizard book with with Scheme and really liked the language but it didn't look like a good investment in terms of job prospects so I ended up going with Python. I'm not looking to learn a language for pay just now so I'm back to "something functional". I went back and forth between spending time learning Lisp and OCAML but I ended up going with Lisp because the first thing I want is *development speed* and the last time I messed around with OCAML the typing system kept slowing down my development.
For any given situation I generally believe in "one canonical implementation" that creates a lot of value by working as an official standard that lets people work with each other without too many layers of coordination. Based on my initial surveys I'm thinking that the right thing to do is: 1. Work through Practical Common Lisp - http://www.gigamonkeys.com/book/ 2. While using Steel Bank Common Lisp - http://sbcl.sourceforge.net/platform-table.html 3. With Lisp in a Box as my IDE - http://common-lisp.net/project/lispbox/ I was sort of expecting to find... I don't know... *not* a ghost town? But some of these projects feel a little bit like a ghost town to me. I downloaded Lisp in a Box and the first thing I found was a completely missing emacs tutorial. It makes me think that the canonical IDE has no active developers... Ulp. So I'm hoping to find the people *somewhere* or, lacking that, maybe nucleate a group. In that vein I'm working on starting a San Diego Lisp Users Group... although I'm not sure if maybe I should open the topic up to include more potential people and go with something more like a "San Diego Functional Languages and Machine Learning Group". If someone reads email, please respond. I'm searching for information: 1. Generally (request to everyone who reads this) is there a "more canonical" set of tools that I should be learning? I just want to use any Lisp that is "what most Lispers use". If nothing else could people say what *they* use and maybe we could get an informal poll going? 2. If you're in San Diego, would you be interested in a group that meets face to face semi-regularly? What kind of scope, format, etc would you be up for? Any and all responses kindly appreciated :-) Jennifer _______________________________________________ Gardeners mailing list [email protected] http://www.lispniks.com/mailman/listinfo/gardeners
