> Seems, all programming languages, including new C++20, Java, Kotlin, > Scala do slowly converge to Lisp. "AWS Lambda", just saying. I fully agree. I see this with C# (e.g. LINQ). Problem is, it turns these languages into messy mixes of sub-dialects (well C++ is a mess already for a long time).
> How about this "innovative" new Lisp syntax? > > https://github.com/birchb1024/genyris/blob/master/examples/queens.g Looks like Python or Ruby to me. > Parenthesis sometimes unneccessarily seem to keep people away from > Lisp as "all day programming language". Parenthesis (or some other separator) clearly mark which elements belong to the same list. Lists within Lisp code have to be clearly distinguishable, especially when dealing with multiple nested lists. I don't see how using whitespace characters instead of parenthesis can solve this - it puts heavy restrictions on what can be on a single line. > It's confusing their brain. Brains can adapt. It's just a habit thing. Changing habits is hard, but I find so are most things which are really worth doing. Frankly, I don't think the essential power of Lisp (homogeneity, code being purely data) is possible without parenthesis (or some other kind of clear list terminators). Python was the attempt to create the next best thing to Lisp with "traditional" syntax (though lisp is actually older than most programming traditions). See here the famous Python vs. Lisp comparison from Norvig: https://norvig.com/python-lisp.html Here a funny story about the topic: > in Norvig's talk about Python... > > /When he finished Peter [Norvig] took questions and to my surprise > called first on the rumpled old guy who had wandered in just before > the talk began and eased himself into a chair just across the aisle > from me and a few rows up./ > > /This guy had wild white hair and a scraggly white beard and looked > hopelessly lost as if he had gotten separated from the tour group and > wandered in mostly to rest his feet and just a little to see what we > were all up to. My first thought was that he would be terribly > disappointed by our bizarre topic and my second thought was that he > would be about the right age, Stanford is just down the road, I think > he is still at Stanford -- could it be?/ > > /"Yes, John?" Peter said./ > > /I won't pretend to remember Lisp inventor John McCarthy's exact words > which is odd because there were only about ten but he simply asked if > Python could gracefully manipulate Python code as data./ > > /"No, John, it can't," said Peter and nothing more, graciously > assenting to the professor's critique, and McCarthy said no more > though Peter waited a moment to see if he would and in the silence a > thousand words were said./ > Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1803627 which got it from http://smuglispweeny.blogspot.com/2008/02/ooh-ooh-my-turn-why-lisp.html
