Re: Scheme acceptance [no flames]

[Paolo Amoroso <amoroso@mclink.it>]

On Tue, 7 Nov 2000 01:30:49 -0500 (EST), Shriram Krishnamurthi
<sk@cs.brown.edu> wrote:

> - Syntax arguments are lame.  Sorry.  Sure, the majority of people may 
>   not prefer prefix.  But to lose that syntax would be to shed many
>   advantages inherent to Scheme.  It's a devil's bargain.

This quote by John McCarthy ("History of LISP" - SIGPLAN Notices, 13,8;
August 1978) seems relevant:

"The internal representation of symbolic information gives up the familiar
infix notation in favor of a notation that simplifies the task of
programming the _substantive_ computations, e.g. logical deduction or
algebraic simplification, differentiation or integration. If customary
notations are to be used externally, translation programs must be written.
The LISP programs use a prefix notation for algebraic expressions, because
they usually must determine the main connective before deciding what to do
next. [...] _The advantage is like that of binary computers over
decimal--but larger_."


Paolo
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