On Tue, 2006-06-13 at 16:07 -0600, Gregory Hill wrote: > > Perhaps because lisp is one of the few reasons there is any science in > > computer science. Programming C/C++/Java/ruby/python/perl is not > > computer science. > > Maybe not, but the 2nd half of that list is a lot more fun. I like > having fun.
Well one of the refreshing things for me about learning python is that the old concepts I learned when using Scheme for a class suddenly become not only valid but useful too. There are many aspects of python that remind me of my scheme days including functional programming, lists and list processing, and meta programming. Things like lambda expressions allow you to do all kinds of need things that are intellectually appealing, clean, and logical, even if they aren't necessarily efficient from the CPU's point of view. Seems to me that "conventional" languages end up sacrificing proper computer science in order to better utilize our current computer architectures (a good trade-off). LISP techniques provide a certain elegance that are very appealing. Now a coder would probably find himself hindered by LISP-isms. As for the second half, I've had much more fun programming in python because of the LISPisms than in any other language I'm used so far (I am a weird one who really enjoys using C and even asm). I will learn Ruby sometime down the road too as I hear some folks think it takes the best of python and goes even farther. > > Greg > > /* > PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net > Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug > Don't fear the penguin. > */ > /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
