Re: what is the problem?

["Fredrik Lundh" <address@hidden>]

paul wrote:
> I have often wondered where Lisp fit into Python's
> development.

> I ask because Kevin suggested that Python is a cleaned
> up Perl

He was guessing, and so are you.

Let's repeat:

    "ABC would be much more useful if it wasn't so tightly
    integrated with the development environment.  And
    Modula-3 is a really cool language."

Also see:

    http://www.python.org/doc/essays/foreword.html

:::

> Lisp syntax is scary and CL and Scheme have no libraries.

Dream on ;-)

I don't know what influenced the ABC designers, but they
probably *knew* about Lisp.  And dozens of other languages
(Python looks a bit like SETL, don't you think?).

But their goal was to create a language that anyone could
learn in very little time -- "a good replacement for BASIC".

And most importantly, they did extensive user testing (done
by CHI professionals, not computer scientists).  To quote
Steven Pemberton:

    "We did requirements and task analysis, iterative
    design, and user testing. You'd almost think pro-
    gramming languages were an interface between
    people and computers"

</F>