What makes elisp fun ?

From: Jean-Christophe Helary Subject: What makes elisp fun ? Date: Mon, 22 May 2017 21:28:26 +0900

Chassell's introduction really does not manage to make the reader enthusiastic about programming in elisp. Maybe it's because it was written when people really had to learn *everything* about programming concepts since the internet was not so widely spread at the time. There are countless people on the web who are super excited about Emacs and modes and how all that allows them to be so much better at what they do, but most of the things I read about elisp are "elisp is what you have to go through to write your .emacs file"... I have yet to find just *one* document about elisp that shows some real enthusiasm about the language, its features and how it enables users to do amazing things (because it also is a Lisp). I've read (or started reading) a number of books on Lisp and they pretty much all put the emphasis on how simple the syntax is, and on how macros are the defining difference between lisp and all the other languages. On that note, the macro chapter in the reference does not really manage to show users how Lisp macros are so different from any other kind of macro system. When you read Graham's Ansi Common Lisp, you get right away (p.11) that macros are *the* defining difference between Lisp and other languages. On Lisp, or more recently Let Over Lambda and even Practical Common Lisp show you right away how important macros are. I understand that macros are not exactly for beginners... But still the way they are introduced for other Lisps really conveys the idea that Lisp is a very special language. And really, that message does not come through in the Introduction to Emacs Lisp or even in the Reference. So, besides for the fact that elisp is the Emacs extension language, what makes you enthusiastic about it and want to program in it? What makes elisp fun for you ? Jean-Christophe

reply via email to

