Anyone have any pointers to documents on the early history of the LOOP
macro? I'm interested in where it came from and what the original
designers were trying to do.
-Peter
--
Peter Seibel ·····@javamonkey.com
The intellectual level needed for system design is in general
grossly underestimated. I am convinced more than ever that this
type of work is very difficult and that every effort to do it with
other than the best people is doomed to either failure or moderate
success at enormous expense. --Edsger Dijkstra
From: Tim Daly, Jr.
Subject: Re: Historical documents about LOOP?
Date:
Message-ID: <87wuhk3fjp.fsf@tenkan.org>
Peter Seibel <·····@javamonkey.com> writes:
> Anyone have any pointers to documents on the early history of the LOOP
> macro? I'm interested in where it came from and what the original
> designers were trying to do.
>
> -Peter
I've heard JonL White referred to as the "father of LOOP".
LOOP is mentioned a few times in Gabriel's "The History of Lisp", to
be found here: http://www.dreamsongs.com/Essays.html .
That's it. I'm a cretin, historically.
-Tim
--
Peter Seibel <·····@javamonkey.com> writes:
> Anyone have any pointers to documents on the early history of the LOOP
> macro? I'm interested in where it came from and what the original
> designers were trying to do.
>
> -Peter
You might be able to start your investigation by reading through the
source code for the LOOP in CMUCL (src/code/loop.lisp)--which, judging
from the copyrights and CVS information in the header, may also be
used in several other implementations:
[mega snip]
;;; The LOOP iteration macro is one of a number of pieces of code
;;; originally developed at MIT for which free distribution has been
;;; permitted, as long as the code is not sold for profit, and as long
;;; as notification of MIT's interest in the code is preserved.
;;;
;;; This version of LOOP, which is almost entirely rewritten both as
;;; clean-up and to conform with the ANSI Lisp LOOP standard, started
;;; life as MIT LOOP version 829 (which was a part of NIL, possibly
;;; never released).
[double mega snip]
Gabe Garza
Peter Seibel <·····@javamonkey.com> wrote:
> Anyone have any pointers to documents on the early history of the LOOP
> macro? I'm interested in where it came from and what the original
> designers were trying to do.
Maybe look at http://its.svensson.org/LSB1%3b
From: Christopher C. Stacy
Subject: Re: Historical documents about LOOP?
Date:
Message-ID: <uel3so78l.fsf@dtpq.com>
······@dtpq.com (Christopher C. Stacy) writes:
> Why don't you just ask Alan Bawden?
I take it he's the inventor of LOOP?
-Peter
--
Peter Seibel ·····@javamonkey.com
The intellectual level needed for system design is in general
grossly underestimated. I am convinced more than ever that this
type of work is very difficult and that every effort to do it with
other than the best people is doomed to either failure or moderate
success at enormous expense. --Edsger Dijkstra
Peter Seibel wrote:
>
> Anyone have any pointers to documents on the early history of the LOOP
> macro? I'm interested in where it came from and what the original
> designers were trying to do.
On my ITS, there's a file called .INFO.;LISP LOOP
It starts
---------------------------------------------------------------------
.c Thursday July 10,1980 3:59 LQ+5D.3H.56M.26S. -*- Text -*-
.chapter "Introduction"
LOOP is a Lisp macro which provides a programmable iteration
facility. The same LOOP module operates compatibly in both Lisp
Machine Lisp and Maclisp (PDP-10 and Multics). LOOP was inspired by
the "FOR" facility of CLISP in InterLisp; however, it is not
compatible and differs in several details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Let me know whether you want me to post it here, or mail it to you.
Le Hibou
--
In any large organization, mediocrity is almost by definition
an overwhelming phenomenon; the systematic disqualification
of competence, however, is the managers' own invention, for
the sad consequences of which they should bear the full blame.
-- Edsger W. Dijkstra, 1986.
Donald Fisk <················@enterprise.net> writes:
> Peter Seibel wrote:
> >
> > Anyone have any pointers to documents on the early history of the LOOP
> > macro? I'm interested in where it came from and what the original
> > designers were trying to do.
>
> On my ITS, there's a file called .INFO.;LISP LOOP
>
> It starts
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> .c Thursday July 10,1980 3:59 LQ+5D.3H.56M.26S. -*- Text -*-
>
> .chapter "Introduction"
> LOOP is a Lisp macro which provides a programmable iteration
> facility. The same LOOP module operates compatibly in both Lisp
> Machine Lisp and Maclisp (PDP-10 and Multics). LOOP was inspired by
> the "FOR" facility of CLISP in InterLisp; however, it is not
> compatible and differs in several details.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Let me know whether you want me to post it here, or mail it to you.
Either is fine by me. If it's huge, probably better to email it.
I guess if other folks are interested they can pipe up.
-Peter
--
Peter Seibel ·····@javamonkey.com
The intellectual level needed for system design is in general
grossly underestimated. I am convinced more than ever that this
type of work is very difficult and that every effort to do it with
other than the best people is doomed to either failure or moderate
success at enormous expense. --Edsger Dijkstra
> Either is fine by me. If it's huge, probably better to email it. I
> guess if other folks are interested they can pipe up.
It might be nice to get it into google.
--
Fred Gilham ······@csl.sri.com
Time is nature's way of making sure everything doesn't happen at once.
Unfortunately, like most things in nature it doesn't always work.