Re: [Axiom-developer] domains with parameters versus Python classes

[Bill Page]

Quoting Alfredo Portes <address@hidden>:

> On 30 Mar 2007 10:49:11 -0500, Gabriel Dos Reis <address@hidden> wrote:
> > | > Anyway, I find the idea of luring Python developers into Axiom by
> > | > showing them how you can write Spad/Aldor programs in Python
> > | > and vice versa very, let say, curious.
> > ...
> > "waste of time" and "doubtful".
>
> Funny enough, the python webpage used to have something similar to show
> the similarities with Lisp :-).

I think it was this article. I believe I have referred to it before on this
list.

http://norvig.com/python-lisp.html

Python for Lisp Programmers
by Peter Norvig

This is a brief introduction to Python for Lisp programmers. (Although 
it wasn't
my intent, Python programers have told me this page has helped them 
learn Lisp.)
Basically, Python can be seen as a dialect of Lisp with "traditional" syntax
(what Lisp people call "infix" or "m-lisp" syntax). One message on
comp.lang.python said "I never understood why LISP was a good idea until I
started playing with python." Python supports all of Lisp's essential features
except macros, and you don't miss macros all that much because it does have
eval, and operator overloading, and regular expression parsing, so you can
create custom languages that way.

-------

I think this article has two lessons for us. First: the removal of
the link to this article from www.python.org probably reflects
the reality that an association with Lisp is no longer of much
relevance to Python programmers. I hope for a similar evolution
of Axiom.

Second: it adds some credibility to the idea that an introduction
to SPAD for Python programmers might be beneficial for both
Axiom and Python developers.

Regards,
Bill Page.