From: Lisp Researcher
Subject: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <01a77a96.b6cdaadd@usw-ex0107-050.remarq.com>
I am doing a research on Lisp and I need to know how this language
implements the following features:

(a) variables and constants
(b) numeric data types
(c) character data types
(d) pointer variables
(e) array types
(f) record types
(g) user defined types

I would be grateful for any assisstance.
Thank You.


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From: Barry Margolin
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <ee_K4.10$eJ5.502@burlma1-snr2>
In article <·················@usw-ex0107-050.remarq.com>,
Lisp Researcher  <···············@excite.com.invalid> wrote:
>I am doing a research on Lisp and I need to know how this language
>implements the following features:

I suggest the book "Anatomy of Lisp", as well as the proceedings of past
ACM "Lisp and Functional Computing" conferences.

-- 
Barry Margolin, ······@genuity.net
Genuity, Burlington, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.
From: Courageous
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data  types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <38FC97D7.FC56820F@san.rr.com>
Lisp Researcher wrote:
> 
> I am doing a research on Lisp and I need to know...

I suggest you get a copy of the ANSI Common Lisp
standards document. While thick, this document will,
for instance, define for you the differences in what
is required by the language and what is allowed to
vary in different actual implementations.



C/
From: Erik Naggum
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data  types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <3165125538003989@naggum.no>
* Lisp Researcher
| I am doing a research on Lisp and I need to know...

* Courageous <········@san.rr.com>
| I suggest you get a copy of the ANSI Common Lisp
| standards document.

  sigh.  this is a genuinely bad idea for the answers to the questions
  asked, which have to do with implementation of the language, not the
  specification of the semantics of the language.  anyone who has _read_
  the standard knows that it doesn't answer any of the questions.

  the answer is obviously to call up a Lisp vendor and ask a technical
  person for some pointers.  I don't think the question merits response
  beyond that, mainly because I don't want people who have zero clue to
  start doing research on anything.  acquire clue, _then_ do research.
  otherwise, you ask clueless questions, get clueless answers from people
  who have even less clue than you do, and don't recognize the problems
  inherent in trusting the Net.

#:Erik
From: Courageous
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data   types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <38FDE532.83DE52B1@san.rr.com>
Erik Naggum wrote:
> 
> * Lisp Researcher
> | I am doing a research on Lisp and I need to know...
> 
> * Courageous <········@san.rr.com>
> | I suggest you get a copy of the ANSI Common Lisp
> | standards document.
> 
>   sigh.  this is a genuinely bad idea for the answers to the questions
>   asked, which have to do with implementation of the language, not the
>   specification of the semantics of the language.  anyone who has _read_
>   the standard knows that it doesn't answer any of the questions.

That's the point: once you've read the standard, you'll realize
that for *Lisp*, there is no answer. Only a particular vendors
solution. But that isn't Lisp, now, is it?



C/
From: Michael Hudson
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data    types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <m3aeiqhvop.fsf@atrus.jesus.cam.ac.uk>
Courageous <········@san.rr.com> writes:

> That's the point: once you've read the standard, you'll realize
> that for *Lisp*, there is no answer. Only a particular vendors
> solution. But that isn't Lisp, now, is it?

One would think there are more expedient ways of getting to that
conclusion than digesting a large ANSI specification (or even the
HyperSpec, which is cheaper and easier to get hold of).

Reading the cmucl user guide might go some way towards getting an
answer to the original question, I suppose.

Cheers,
M.

-- 
59. In English every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in 
    our programming languages.
     -- Alan Perlis, http://www.cs.yale.edu/~perlis-alan/quotes.html
From: Courageous
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined  data    types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <38FDE8C5.A0A3ACF3@san.rr.com>
> > That's the point: once you've read the standard, you'll realize
> > that for *Lisp*, there is no answer. Only a particular vendors
> > solution. But that isn't Lisp, now, is it?
> 
> One would think there are more expedient ways of getting to that
> conclusion than digesting a large ANSI specification (or even the
> HyperSpec, which is cheaper and easier to get hold of).

Well, okay. The gut instinct nature of my response was that
anyone doing "research" on Lisp ought to know what Lisp *is*.
But the fellow didin't really say what he meant by "research,"
so it's hard to say.


C/
From: Erik Naggum
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data   types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <3165303464872531@naggum.no>
* Courageous <········@san.rr.com>
| That's the point: once you've read the standard, you'll realize that for
| *Lisp*, there is no answer.  Only a particular vendors solution.  But
| that isn't Lisp, now, is it?

  I'm disappointed.  I was waiting for a "Lisp is not like that, Erik".

  I must assume from past experience that you won't ever understand that
  giving somebody the standard is not an answer to implementation issues,
  but will now proceed to call yourself "victim" and me "abuser" for
  pointing this out to you, and _blame_ me for your lack of understanding.

  instead of _actually_ going down that route, I'll just summarize it for
  us all: Joe Kraska will never relinquish the genuinely bad idea of giving
  someone the whole standard when they ask for _common_ implementations of
  certain aspects of Common Lisp, but will forever think his was a highly
  meritorious suggestion which was undeservedly bashed.  it is still wrong.

  now, refrain from following up, Joe Kraska.  we know what you will say.

#:Erik
From: Hartmann Schaffer
Subject: Re: How does Lisp implement Primitive, Structured and User-defined data types?
Date: 
Message-ID: <38fde777@news.sentex.net>
In article <·················@usw-ex0107-050.remarq.com>,
	Lisp Researcher <···············@excite.com.invalid> writes:
> I am doing a research on Lisp and I need to know how this language
> implements the following features:
> 
> (a) variables and constants
> (b) numeric data types
> (c) character data types
> (d) pointer variables
> (e) array types
> (f) record types
> (g) user defined types

a pretty good book about how lisp like languages are implemented is
"Lisp in Small Pieces" by C. Queinnec (sp?)

-- 

Hartmann Schaffer