> On Jun 22, 2021, at 3:40 PM, ben via cctalk <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> ...
> Lisp is evaluated, not compiled from what little I have read.
> If I could read the papers (for free) I could know more.
> Refal "Recursive functions algorithmic language" from Russia
> looks just what I was looking for. Around since 1966.
> Ben.
Any language can be interpreted or compiled. For some languages, like LISP and
TECO, interpreting is a rather natural implementation techniques, while for
others (C, ALGOL) compilation is the obvious answer. But either is possible.
For example, there is a compiled TECO -- it turns the editor commands into
PDP-10 machine code and then executes it (Stevens TECO, if I remember right).
Of course there are implementations that are borderline between the two. The
common Python implementation is an example, with its bytecode that is
interpreted. Forth is partly bytecode and partly straight machine code. The
Electrologica ALGOL compilers used somewhat similar mixtures of pseudocode and
machine code. DEC's PDP-11 Fortran IV used bytecode, while Fortran IV-Plus
uses machine code. (Two compilers for the same machine, two different
approaches.)
paul
