> > Why abused? Why should the "pure" functional way the best for
> > programming? Couldn't it be that a language which supports other
> > features besides functionl elements.
>
> Indeed. Could it be that Lisp supports, yea, even encourages,
> non-functional programming? Why, then, is it important to you that
> it is considered a functional programming language?
It isn't so important to me. But saying Lisp isn't functional (to some
extend) is simply not true. Personally I think a nice combination of
different "paradigms" in a programming language might give a better
language. I do think that functional programming provided clear
advantags (what am I doing? this is a Haskell mailing list;-), but
it's not the end of all language development.
I am a used Eiffel programmer but I do feel that Eiffel could gain
very much from functional extensions. In fact I'm sure that a langauge
combining FP and OOP (with imperative roots) is even better than e.g
Haskell of Eiffel alone.
>
> > I would think Lisp among other things is a functional language.
>
> Functional features like higher order functions are commonly used, so
> Lisp is certainly not as defunctional as e.g. Pascal. Would you
> consider Python a functional language?
I have programmed a bit Python, but other Lisp Hackers have pointed
out that Python can be considered a FP language. But IMHO Lisp is much
more "functional" if I which than Python. But besided it's Object
System is one of the most amazing things I fouind. Lisp stands IMHO
for a degree of flexibility which is is unbeaten by any other
language.
>
> Finally, it isn't obvious that more "functionality" in languages is
> necessarily good, and I think Lisp illustrates that.
I see, that we agree to soem extend, just IMHO every language gains
from functional extensions. As I would think that Haskell could gain
much by OO-extensions (which is a bit more on-topic than Lisp here, I
guess)
>I think if I had
> to use one language for everything, CL would definitely be a
> candidate. Of course, Haskell is so much prettier.
I'm on my way learning both languages. IMO Lisp a more programmer
friendly language. I guess both are simular difficult (or easy it's a
matter of taste) to lean. And both have their special merits. But at
the moment I think Lisp is much prettier than Haskell.
Regards
Friedrich
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