On 12/8/05, Paul Lussier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Jon maddog Hall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: >>> Lisp, as a language, has been around since 1959, making it the oldest >>> programming language still in common use today. >> >> Fortran was started in 1954, and released in 1957. Cobol was also >> released in 1959. > > Hmm, perhaps I should re-state that as "the oldest programming > language still taught in Computer Science courses." I have absolutely > no idea whether there are any CS departments still teaching either > Fortran or Cobol, but I know that at least MIT still teaches Lisp (in > the form of scheme).
I know there were CS departments offering at least one or the other, circa 2002. But why does it matter? No one should be surprised to find something being taught in a school. I think what Paul is trying to get at is that LISP is and has been well-regarded for decades as a language which does something unique and valuable for the discipline of programming. FORTRAN was the first compiler, and makes math easier. COBOL was the first language targeting businesses. C is very portable, and represents "how the machine actually works" very well. Java popularized platform independence, OO, and "protected programming" like nothing before. Python makes OO very easy to learn and do. All of these have experienced a period of popularity; most have lost at least some of their popularity over time as the "fad" passes on. LISP, in contrast, never really took hold in any "market segment". (Well, I'm told it gets used a lot in AI. There might be a reason for that.) Yet it maintains an interest that most languages have not, over time. And I say this as an "outsider", someone who "doesn't get" LISP. > While Fortran and Cobol are indeed still in widespread use, my > understanding is that it is more a consequence of legacy than of > intention. ... Whereas, there are people still actively and intentionally > designing > systems in Lisp. Paul Graham is perfect example, he and Bob Morris > wrote ViaWeb entirely in Common Lisp ... Hmmm, so COBOL and FORTRAN get used by people and places who already use them, and that's legacy, but when people who already use LISP use it, that's intention. Got it. ;-) I suspect you're trying to say "But nobody *likes* programming in COBOL or FORTRAN", but I've met people (well, a person, for COBOL) who do. It takes all kinds, as they say. But I've never heard of anyone arguing that COBOL or FORTRAN are good languages in which to explore programming theory. > Two areas I know almost nothing about, so, with all due respect for > those areas of computer science, I'll stop arguing ;) Hey that's never stopped you (or me (or anyone else)) from arguing before! ;-) -- Ben _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss
