So, I've started learning LISP, just a bit of it, and I want to know if there's some kind of preprocessor or implementation of LISP that will allow the use of a() instead of (a), a(b) instead of (a b), etc., as well as [a], [a b], etc. as an alternate syntax (for lists). That would make it so much nicer and would be a reason not to give up because the few syntax there is totally sucks. The power of LISP is not worth it if you need to deal with ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) at the end of a function, you need a parens highlighting editor to write a LISP program. I consider a decent language shouldn't require any particular editor.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-26 12:26
I love lisp its amazing, everyone who has ideas about what a programming language should do, or could do.. you can implement it on lisp :D
You need to spend a little time getting used to the syntax, but remember when you first learned C?
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-26 12:33
sorry #2 here, I kind of ignored your question
Originally lisp was written in various implementation M-expression (which you seem to be used to probably from using other languages), and S-expressions.
Over a several years and various implementations of lisp people have settled with using S-expressions for many reasons, but ill just say this, Its a more unified notation, (lets data and code be written in more similar ways), also
so just try and roll with it for a while, see if you can adapt.. if not lisp may not be for you, because you definitly need to think in a different way than C/etc forces you into.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-26 18:48
>>2-3 remember when you first learned C?
Yes, the syntax wasn't nearly as insane, and I could understand what code did pretty easily except for the occasional *(lol *) p->z[**a++] -= 2.
Still, Lisp's features are attractive. Rather than C, my favourite language is Python, and I'm already doing many things the functional way (and sometimes missing some feature I suppose Lisp would have), so I don't know what to do. I think I'll assign it a lower priority over my spare time, but still go on with it and see if I can get used to )))))))))))))).
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-26 18:55
I consider a decent language shouldn't require any particular editor.
This is my main gripe with Lisp (and Java) too.
Regrettably, changing (a b) won't help you, since instead of (a (b (c (d (e f))))) you'll end up with a(b(c(d(e(f))))). That's the same number of parens.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-26 19:16
Screw LISP. If you want to learn functional programming, use a clean and simple language, like Caml or Haskell.
Seriously.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-26 19:36
>>6
I dunno about Caml, but Ocaml is hardly clean or simple.
Caml and Haskell are pretty much write-only languages. Ergo, they are neither clean nor simple except to austistic Dustin Hoffman fuckheads who can't tie their own shoes or use the toilet without pooping on the closed seat because they're calculating the first 500,000,000,000,000,000 digits of pi in their head.
>>5
a decent language would let you do either one.
for example, in perl "(a(b(c(d(e f)))))" and "a(b(c(d(e(f)))))" and even "a b c d e f" all do exactly the same thing.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-27 4:59
you need a parens highlighting editor to write a LISP program
and you need a highlighting editor for all the other languages anyway, what's your point moron? Caml and Haskell are pretty much write-only languages
for morons like you who can't write. I can write clean code, I'm a professional, you can't write clean code, you suck.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-27 18:30
and you need a highlighting editor for all the other languages anyway, what's your point moron?
You do?
Wow. To think, all these years...
I'm a professional... you suck.
This must be satire.
>>11 and you need a highlighting editor for all the other languages anyway
Only not
I'm a professional, you can't write clean code, you suck.
... I'm insulted by the low quality of your troll.
>>18
Actually, I'm already used to most of the concepts, and already understand most of the new ones. My gripe with Lisp is the syntax, not to understand it.
>>22
Thanks, but I'm a he. No girls in the Internet, etc.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-29 13:01
if you have problems with the 'syntax' of lisp you actually dont know what syntax is.
Lisp is a syntax-less language.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-29 15:33
>>28
No, you're the fag who doesn't know what syntax is. Lisp has syntax. () with 0 or more items, tokens separated by whitespace is syntax.
syntax-less? WTF? that's the most retarded thing i've heard in years.
so, how can you have a programming language without a grammar that defines its syntax? you get the turing prize if you can do that.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-29 17:53
>>29 >>30
I like it when I get responses like these, it just means that people dont find it hard to understand what im saying, which I dont find hard to beleive because I am an expert programmer. http://www.cliki.net/CloserLookAtSyntax
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-29 17:59
Technically it has a syntax, but it's so minimal as to be effectively non-existent. It's just a notation for the parse tree, whereas most languages have to be parsed before you can get to the tree. This is where the power of lisp lies; you can operate directly on the parse tree at compile time. This is also why I said >>1 is an idiot. If you give it syntax it's not lisp anymore, just another syntaxful language.
>>31
Faggotry. It sounds like a weeaboo, replacing Japan by Lisp.
There is no language without syntax. Now you'll say Lisp is not a langauge. Either way, there cannot be communication without syntax. If you are going to use Lisp, you are going to use syntax. No matter what you do, no matter what you define, defining alone requires syntax.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-30 20:00
I'd say LISP has no syntax only if all it did was add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
But it does have syntax, at least behind-the-scenes. It obviously has to parse something (hence THERE IS SYNTAX) when it encounters for statements, if-then-else statements, etc. Not to mention when you ' an s-expresion, which changes whether or not that s-expression is to be treated as a typical (function param_1 param_2 ... param_n) expression, or as a ('symbol_1 'symbol_2 ... 'symbol_n) expression.
Just because the syntax is very lightweight and un-burdensome to the LISP programmer, doesn't mean the syntax doesn't exist -- especially when you're trying to write a fucking interpreter (or at least understand how they work) for a LISP dialect.
Not rly. I'm just doing my habit of making a 3-paragraph long opinion that nobody wants to read just to diarrhea-up the forum I'm on at the time waiting for some Comp Sci 101 newbies to rally at my side and say I'm right because my posts have more volume than others due to me being an expert programmer.
Name:
Anonymous2007-01-31 6:25
But it does have syntax, at least behind-the-scenes