[racket-dev] using Racket to build an image-based Lisp: feasible?

On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 5:40 PM, Stephen Bloch <bloch at adelphi.edu> wrote:

>
> On Mar 6, 2013, at 11:54 AM, mikel evins <mevins at me.com> wrote:
>
> > Rather than answer your questions directly, it seems much easier and
> more apropos to address the underlying assumption that images and source
> files are somehow mutually exclusive. They're not. Adding the ability to
> save and load images does not subtract the ability to work with source
> files. I don't know why people seem to think that.
>
> I don't think anybody has said (or assumed) exactly that.  My concern
> would be that a workflow involving heavy use of images would TEND towards
> creating functionality for which there is no source code.
>
> In other words, the images don't make it impossible to work with source
> files, but they make it possible and tempting to work without source files.
>


No, they don't.

AFAIK, only in Smalltalk and Interlisp environments developers worked
without source files.
.
In the Symbolics, LMI, and Explorer Lisp Machines, developers always
used source files. In the company where I worked, we used images
everyday and no one ever thought about not using source files.

We also had a development environment (KEE) where methods could
be edited either using a sort of code browser similar to the one used
in Smalltalk or the regular ZEmacs editor and normal source files.
Everybody preferred the second approach.

Best,
Antonio.
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