[OT] partialy I was wondering what suggestions for programing

[Bryan Richard]

On Wed, Feb 11, 2004 at 04:00:15AM -0600, Leo J Mauler wrote:

[...]

> > > All languages are basically alike; they implement the same ideas
> > > with variously flavored methods. 
> > 
> > Until you encounter LISP and your head melts. ;-)
> 
> "Do Not Feed The LISP Programmers"
> 
> I mentioned this previously in a different post, I have to flesh it out. 
> A friend of mine in high school had a father who was a Computer Science
> professor at the University of Kansas.  They had a home computer
> (mid-to-late1980s) which ran ONLY LISP.  His son complained that he would
> prefer a computer like his friends were getting (IBM PC or Macintosh) so
> he could run spreadsheets on them (Advanced Physics coursework, like
> using real data from a metal ball shot out of a spring gun to "prove"
> various Physics "laws") and do his homework a little easier.
> 
> So his dad went to work, and wrote a Spreadsheet Application in LISP for
> their home computer, with almost all the functions of Lotus 1-2-3 (for
> the younger folks, one of the better Spreadsheets in MSDOS).
> 
> I still cringe a bit thinking about trying to write *any* office
> productivity application in LISP (even as minor  as a calculator), let
> alone creating an entire spreadsheet.

Incredible. 

There's a spreadsheet module for Emacs written in Emacs LISP that I use
from time to time.

LIPS is an interesting animal. When you "get it" you understand a lot
more about computing in general. There's an awaking moment like the
first time you pull something from a database and display it in a
browser, understand OOP, or tweak Linux, that's hard to explain. 

I've seen LISP hook people with almost zero computing background. When I
first went to college I studied Construction Engineering and the program
was turning subcontractors and journeymen, mostly, but we had to spend a
fair amount of time in the lab drawing with AutoCAD. You can automate
AutoCAD with LISP and more than once I've had a "gun-rack in the truck,
Carhart and flannel, workbooted student" who would go on to hang drywall
for a living[1] wave a floppy in front of my face saying, "man, you've
got to check out some of my sweet LISP routines." Huh? ;-)

- Bryan

[1] Disclaimer: Have hung a fair amount of drywall in my day and at one
time owned a gun rack.