[plt-scheme] Re: Poacher turned gamekeeper

On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 05:27:46AM -0800, Philippos Apolinarius wrote:
> I often wonder why all Schemes don't have something like
> Gambit-C SIX syntax.

PLT has Honu (and Algol).  Check it out at the bottom of the
help desk.

> After all, the the traditional syntax
> would still be available, if one needs or prefer it. One needs
> the traditional syntax to do things like genetic programming,
> neural networks or macros.

I'm curious about why you would think this.  Scheme (like other
lisps) is defined in terms of the parsed AST, not the source
syntax.  It works just the same with whatever syntax you use.

I'm doubly curious why you would regard genetic programming and
neural networks as special classes of algorithm, and put them
in the same category as macros?  I've used both, in C, many
years ago.  What's changed in the last fifteen years to make
s-expression syntax a critical factor now?

Cheers,

-- 
Andrew