Re: How to make GNU Guile more successful

[Marko Rauhamaa]

Panicz Maciej Godek <address@hidden>:

> I think that Python is popualr because you don't need Emacs to work
> with it.

You do need a special editor to work with Python, and emacs is perfect
for it.

Python is popular because it is a very traditional, dynamic, high-level
programming language. It is conceptually very similar to Lisp
(especially coupled with JSON). Definitely a gateway drug to Lisp.

> The problem with Emacs is that it is that, although you probably can
> do everything imaginable with it, it is difficult to approach.

I never noticed that problem with emacs. Emacs is really the only
reasonable way to type text. For example, when I enter text of any
length to a web app, I first type it in emacs and then copy it to the
web form.

I have typed this message in emacs.

> There's also this problem with Scheme that it is a very diverse
> community with plethora of implementations.

Scheme might have a chance as people's tastes evolve. Python is an
example of that evolution.

In my opinion one of the worst problems with Scheme is the Schemers:
Scheme lovers are often far too enthusiastic with defining new, esoteric
syntax instead of solving practical problems.

Then, there's GOOPS, which in my opinion is simply an unnatural way to
go about object-oriented programming. It does violence both to ordinary
OO way of thinking and classic Lisp idioms.

Continuations and multiple values are obstacles instead of enablers.

BTW, Python seems to be suffering from quite many self-inflicted wounds:
Python2/Python3 incompatibility, asyncio, type annotation, decorators,
dunder jungle, meta-object programming, Unicode illusion. (Guile has
fallen into that last trap as well, unfortunately.) In its eagerness to
please everyone, Python might well be jumping the shark.

There's one thing Python has over Guile, still: Python's system call
support is outstanding. For example, I managed to implement a full-blown
shell using Python. That was the first time I ever ran into
terminal-related system calls, and Python had them all.


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