Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!sunic!dkuug!iesd!iesd!fischer From: fischer@iesd.auc.dk (Lars P. Fischer) Newsgroups: comp.sw.components Subject: Re: Lisps Message-ID:Date: 29 Sep 89 03:22:07 GMT References: <6617@hubcap.clemson.edu> Sender: news@iesd.auc.dk (UseNet News) Organization: Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Aalborg Lines: 42 In-reply-to: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu's message of 28 Sep 89 00:48:48 GMT >> trivial and lucid in lisps that support continuations and/or engines. >> try scheme, allegro common lisp, symbolics common lisp, or xerox's >> interlisp offerings. > > I take it the Lisp community does not value portability... Please remember that Lisp is the name of a family of programming languages, not a specific language (compare this with the family of Algol- and Pascal-like languages). The Lisp family boast a vast range of languages, some very much alike, some not. Like the Algol family, the Lisp-family has had it's share of standardization efforts (e.g. Common Lisp), attempts at OOPL (CLOS, Loops, ...), etc. The Lisp family is constantly evolving, producing new variants all the time, some with fancy features, some different because of different points of view, etc. (Can you say "Modula3", "Oberon", "YouNameIt"). Programming languages just are like that, Q: Why can't I run my Scheme program with a Common Lisp system. A: Same reason your C compiler won't compile your Ada program. > what happens when you want to take code from one manufacturer's > Lisp and compile it on a different system? If they are both, say, Common Lisp systems, thing will be OK (provided you didn't use X11 or something nasty like that...). > Also: how about exception handling? Catch! /Lars -- Copyright 1989 Lars Fischer; you can redistribute only if your recipients can. Lars Fischer, fischer@iesd.auc.dk, {...}!mcvax!iesd!fischer Department of Computer Science, University of Aalborg, DENMARK. "I could have done it in a much more complicated way", said the Red Queen, immensely proud. -- Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland