[racket] Quoted expressions in #lang racket

From: Robby Findler (robby at eecs.northwestern.edu)
Date: Sun Sep 18 16:29:36 EDT 2011

2011/9/18 Racket Noob <racketnoob at hotmail.com>:
> I think beginner should understand that list is basic lisp notion which
> serves (at least) two purposes:
>
> 1) list as data: as in (1 2 3) or as in whole lisp program
>
> or
>
> 2) list as expression denoting function application: as in (+ 1 2)

FWIW, as one PL educator, I don't find that to be something I wish to
teach to the students who are beginning to learn what is important
about programming languages. I also don't think that a list is a
particularly good representation for a function application in an
implementation and as a mental device I think it can only confuse to
have two distinct concepts mapping in a single concrete thing.

Robby


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