http://www.iment.com/maida/computer/lisp-ptrs/lp-i.1.40.htm . navigate Navigate Programming Environments Page 39 left arrow x right arrow Page 41 The Key of Lisp +-----------------------------------------------------+ | Programming Environments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | LISP Pointers | | | Volume I, Number 1 | | | April-May 1987 | | | | | | | | | The Key of Lisp | | | page 40 | +-----------------------------------------------------+ +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | [keyoflisp] | | Susan Ennis | | | | | | This is the first of what are hoped to be a series of columns | | devoted to presenting the point of view of the users of LISP. | | There are two conditions needed to support a column of this kind. | | The first and most important is that real users of LISP exist in | | the real world. I am not talking about university types, | | implementers of large software packages, or researchers in | | high-priced think tanks. I am talking about the possibility that | | there are application programmers in various companies spread | | across the breadth of the land (world?) who are turning to LISP | | as a viable programming language for applications instead of | | using FORTRAN, C, Ada, or even (heaven forbid) COBOL. | | | | The other condition needed to support a column of this kind is | | that the first issues of it need to reach the intended audience | | and potential contributors. If you are not yourself an | | application programmer but you know someone who does use LISP, | | please pass this first effort along. | | | | | | | | At the present time there seem to be more reasons why applications Implementation Base | | programmers cannot use LISP than the opposite. There are several | | reasons for this attitude that I am aware of, and I would solicit Another inhibitor to the extensive use of LISP | | more reasons from the (supposed) audience. is that the best versions of it have existed on| | esoteric hardware. There are versions on PC's | | Inadequate definition of concepts and on VAX's and on the CRAY, but there are no | | really good versions on IBM machines and most | | One of the major hindrances to the full use of LISP is the lack of a of the commercial systems are being built on | | standard language that can be understood by the non-initiated. Many IBM machines (I should mention that there is a | | times in talking with the implementers of LISP systems I have been very good version of LISP on the IBM Machine | | given the answer that "... If you understand the way that xxxxx is under the VM operating system, but VM is a | | implemented, then you will understand how yyyyy works..." Fill in minor part of the installed IBM base and the | | your favorite constructs for xxxxx and yyyyy. I do not think that I version is incompatible with all other versions| | need to know how a system is implemented in order to make effective of LISP). This situation is improving and | | use of the system. Admittedly there have to be mental models of the versions of LISP are beginning to appear on | | way that systems operate. Several interesting articles have been more 'normal' hardware. | | written^1 about the use of editors and the mental models that users | | have of them. It is most interesting to note that the mental models Speed for Comercial Applications | | are often completely wrong -- but that they work. What I am arguing | | against is a requirement that the use really understand the Another problem is the speed of LISP. There are| | implementation. still people who have heard horror stories | | about the speed of the language as it was | | implemented ten or so years ago. There is not | | an awareness of the efficiency of the modern | | implementations of LISP. If the language is | | going to receive wide-spread use then this myth| | is going to have to be debunked. Lucid is | | trying to breach the barrier of user acceptance| | with their offer to assist in the construction | | of prototypes in order to prove that their | | implementation of LISP is "almost as fast as | | C." One hopes that they will be successful. | | | | ***************** | | | | | | 1 This column shall be distinguished by a complete nbsense of | | bibliographic references unless overwhelming public opinion dictates | | otherwise. | | | | | | | | Prev Article Start of This Article Next | | Article | | | | Page Left left arrow x right arrow Page Right | | | | Vol. I, No. 1 | | Table of Contents | | | | | | | | | | | | Home Favorites Computers Map | | | | IME logo Copyright (c) 2009, Mary S. Van Deusen | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+