Hi,
I'm an old engineer (35 years old) and a a fairly competent programmer in
fortran and C. I am interested in learning lisp because I'm attracted to
the recursive nature of the language and the fact that I can use symbolic
manipulation for the automated reconfiguration of engineering structures.
My question: Which should I learn first, lisp or scheme? I know that
scheme is now being used as a first language in some schools to teach the
concepts of programming. Also, I've heard that scheme is considered easier
to learn.
Comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Ray
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Ray Hann |
NASA Lewis Research Center |
Cleveland, Ohio 44135 | email: ······@hyperthink.lerc.nasa.gov
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From: Henry G. Baker
Subject: Re: Which should one learn first. Lisp or Scheme?
Date:
Message-ID: <hbakerCru141.8p0@netcom.com>
In article <··········@sulawesi.lerc.nasa.gov> ······@hyperthink.lerc.nasa.gov (Ray Hann) writes:
>Hi,
>I'm an old engineer (35 years old) and a a fairly competent programmer in
>fortran and C. I am interested in learning lisp because I'm attracted to
>the recursive nature of the language and the fact that I can use symbolic
>manipulation for the automated reconfiguration of engineering structures.
>
>My question: Which should I learn first, lisp or scheme? I know that
>scheme is now being used as a first language in some schools to teach the
>concepts of programming. Also, I've heard that scheme is considered easier
>to learn.
I don't think there's any question about it; learn Scheme first. It's
not only considerably smaller than Common Lisp, but since it is taught
as an undergraduate (and high school) language, there are many good books
to choose from.
(Lisp, of course, is used in AutoCAD, although it's an old, non-lexically
scoped Lisp.)