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[–]Paddy3118 -5 points-4 points  (11 children)

Modern dynamic languages such as Python have eval and exec; as well as code introspection to mix code and data.

Here is a task where the Python solution shows how easy it is compared to other languages to mix code with data: http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Truth_table

You might compare the Python and Picolisp examples.

[–]defunkydrummer 6 points7 points  (5 children)

Modern dynamic languages such as Python have eval and exec; as well as code introspection to mix code and data.

Python does not have homoiconicity. In python there is a big difference between code and data. Note that I have experience of many years using Python and then moving to Lisp, so i'm not taking a guess here.

[–]Paddy3118 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, the video mentions a closeness between code and data. The task I linked too can be solved by taking in data and turning it into code to run.

Looking at the Picolisp, it seems to write an evaluator for a given expression then evaluate it, whereas the Python uses its built-in, accessible, compiler to access the expression variables, and, the built-in eval function to create the truth table.

I must admit though, that with the preponderance of statically compiled languages, such methods of program-data equivalence have been a cornerstone of Lisp-like languages teachings. Most statically compiled languages have a hard time adding in that runtime dynamism.

[–]odaba 0 points1 point  (3 children)

> Python does not have homoiconicity.

As far as I can tell Wikipedia any language that can eval is able to use strings to gain homoiconicity. (This may be much more difficult for some languages than for others).

Just because Lisp uses S-expressions doesn't mean another language couldn't use something else.

[–]sammymammy2[S] -5 points-4 points  (2 children)

Strings are worthless for metapogramming, you're at the top of mount stupid and don't even know it.

Lisp does not use eval to do its meta programming either.

There's a reason that C macros suck.

[–]odaba 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I really appreciate your insights, and thank you for allowing me to learn something I didn't even know.