Re: I want to ask you All an advice, please

[Kenny Tilton <ktilton@nyc.rr.com>]

Bengt Richter wrote:
> On 12 Nov 2002 13:40:33 +1100, "Artiom Ivanov" <rarelang@ua.fm> wrote:
> 
> 
>>...I know already C/C++, Ada, Java, Delphi (Object Pascal), a
>>little of Common Lisp, UML, HTML, JavaScript and a base of XML and Visual
>>Basic...
> 
> I think you should learn Python (see www.python.org). I predict it will
> rapidly become your favorite language.

No, he already knows a little Common Lisp, so he won't be able to deal 
with such a primitive approach to garbage collection. Look at the effort 
required to handle cyclic references:

   http://www.python.org/doc/api/supporting-cycle-detection.html

Artiom, finish learning Common Lisp, http://www.alu.org, then you will 
be in the best position to decide which features you are most able to 
tolerate living without when you pick your career language (while 
keeping your eye open for Lisp positions). Here are the features I would 
not want to give up:

- interactive development (no linking, compile individual functions, the 
REPL which only seems like an interpreter)
- speed (optimize-compiled to machine code)
- decent GC (transparent, efficient)
- macros (procedural, not just token-replacing)
- multiple-inheritance and all the other features of CLOS, the OO package
- generic functions
- &key, &rest, and &optional args
- standardized (as in ANSI)
- mature (as in stable)
- closures
- special variables
- (sexpr notation (as in parentheses))
- automatic indentation by the editor
- restarts from a backtrace
- OO condition system
- four or more vendors, free trial versions, several free projects

Once you know why each of those is cool, you'll do a better job of 
picking the least abysmal alternative. (Hint: I have personal knowledge 
of Lispers who have found happiness in Python or JavaScript.)

-- 

  kenny tilton
  clinisys, inc
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
""Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor,
   and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.""
                                                   Elwood P. Dowd