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From: oz@yunexus.yorku.ca (Ozan Yigit)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp,comp.lang.scheme
Subject: Ahem. [Re: Virtues of Lisp syntax]
Message-ID: <15089@yunexus.YorkU.CA>
Date: 13 Sep 90 16:33:00 GMT
References: <3368@skye.ed.ac.uk> <1350030@otter.hpl.hp.com> <3408@skye.ed.ac.uk>
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[ongoing discussion regarding lisp syntax]

In article <3408@skye.ed.ac.uk> jeff@aiai.UUCP (Jeff Dalton) writes:

>I would agree, provided we don't take this "eye of the beholder"
>stuff too far.

Why stop now, after we have come this far ?? ;-)

>... It's true that different people will prefer different
>syntaxes and that we can't say they're wrong to do so.  However, we
>shouldn't go on to conclude that all views on the virtues or otherwise
>of a syntax are equally valid. 

It follows therefore that one should try to substantiate some or all of the
claims regarding the effectiveness and benefits of a syntax, such as that
of lisp, instead of just presenting opinions. I have seen studies on
"natural artifical languages" (Gary Perlman's term for programming/command
languages), effects of punctuation in programming etc.  but I don't recall
seeing a study that has a definitive word on overwhelming benefits of one
syntax over another. If you know of any that substantiate various claims
[so far made] about lisp syntax, I would be very interested in it.

[I am curious: Does anyone know why Papert chose lisp-like semantics but
not the syntax for Logo?]

[and regarding the benefits of syntax]

>You can get *some* of the benefits, but by sacrificing some
>of the others.  Lisp occupies something like a local maximum in
>"benefit space".

Really. QED is it?

oz
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