Jason  <jemeade@gmail.com> wrote:
+---------------
| I'm hangin' out with Lambda, the Ultimate, and he showed me a cool new
| trick!
| 
| [4]> (eval ((lambda (x) (* x x)) 5))
| 25
| [5]> (funcall (coerce '(lambda (x) (* x x)) 'function) 5)
| 25
| [6]>
| 
| I've known about item 4 for a while, but just discovered 5 tonight. 5
| seems... better, but I can't say why.
| 
| Aside from stylistic concerns, is one form preferred over the other,
| and if so then why?
+---------------

Why do either when this is perfectly legal?!?

    > ((lambda (x) (* x x)) 5)

    25
    > 

Plus, the latter can be compiled and/or inlined, as the CLHS notes:

    3.1.2.1.2.4 Lambda Forms
    ...
    (In practice, some compilers are more likely to produce inline code
    for a lambda form than for an arbitrary named function that has been
    declared inline; however, such a difference is not semantic.)
    ...


-Rob

-----
Rob Warnock			<rpw3@rpw3.org>
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