Re: `while' in Lisp? + loop vs do?

Subject: Re: `while' in Lisp? + loop vs do?
From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.no>
Date: 1999/10/23
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Message-ID: <3149697116657478@naggum.no>

* Fred Gilham
| I've recently become more aware of the fact that Lisp's `program as
| data' paradigm really sets it apart from the rest of the crowd; loop
| detracts from this.

  I disagree.  LOOP is an excellent example of "program as data", both in
  the way it is implemented (symbols like WHILE are not in COMMON-LISP, but
  are STRING= with stuff the LOOP macro knows about).  moreover, LOOP is an
  excellent example of "not all data or programs can be alike", which I
  think is an even more important issue -- Lisp captures the diversity of
  real-life complexity.  finally, LOOP is an example of a very messy use of
  both of these high quality features in Common Lisp.

| It would not be so bad if doing so were necessary to gain the
| functionality loop provides; the fact that alternatives exist that are
| more Lisp-like makes loop something of a wart.

  there's something to be said about the beauty of youth and the immature,
  but as sll things mature, warts and wrinkles show up and make some people
  want to leave in disgust for yet another immature youth.  I don't think
  this is a valid way to think of beauty in either languages nor humans,
  despite the intense pressure from the extremely youth-fixated fashion
  industry whose views permeate our entire culture's view on maturity.

#:Erik