Re: Ada - Lisp Wars

[gateley@m2.csc.ti.com (John Gateley)]

In article <8903141815.AA03054@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu> IVANOVIC%VAXR@CIRCUS.LLNL.GOV ("Vladimir Ivanovic 415.423.7786") writes:
> [ ... ]
>    In any case, I'd like to offer a proof that Ada and Lisp can both do
>    anything the other can do. 
>    
>    (1) It is possible to write a Lisp interpreter in Ada.  Hence Ada
>    can do anything Lisp can do.
>    
>    (2) It is possible to write an Ada compiler in Lisp.  Hence Lisp
>    can do anything Ada can do.
>    
>    Voila!  The argument is over.  Everyone wins.  No one loses.
>    
>    The really tough question is "When is it appropriate to use Ada?
>    or Lisp? or Scan? or C? or <insert favorite language here>?"

For me, the question is not "can one language do something that another
language can", it is "how easy is it to one thing in two different languages".

For example, a recent posting shows how ``untyped'' variables can be
used in Ada. This has drawbacks when compared to Lisp: it is harder to
do, special accessors/settors must be defined, etc. This suggests that
Ada can not express some things as well as Lisp.

On the other hand, Lisp may not express some things as well as Ada, though
I am not sure about this. (Okay, so I am prejudiced towards Lisp :^).

Anyways, the issue is expressability, not completeness. Of course, it
is rather difficult to define expressability.

John
gateley@tilde.csc.ti.com