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Lisp as an Alternative to Java

Posted by Hemos on from the dear-lord dept.

Joseph Dale writes "Lisp as an Alternative to Java is a detailed and well-reasoned study comparing Lisp to Java and C++ in terms of execution time, memory consumption, and developer effort. The author, Erann Gat, was the principal software architect for the Mars Science Microrover, the prototype for the Mars Pathfinder rover."

7 of 372 comments (clear)

  1. Java is not a good language... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Damn, I think I actually got a first post... You will all ph33r me now!

  2. It's about the API by The+Ultimate+Badass · · Score: 4, Troll

    I don't care if LISP runs 500 times as fast as Java. It has a massively restricted API. People don't base their language choice on speed anymore. FORTRAN is still twice as fast as C, but everyone still uses C, for two reasons: FORTRAN is harder to learn, and C has more libraries.

    Java's great strength is that it has a huge set of APIs, all in a unified form, making programming a less repetitive and painful experience. Java is for people who understand that recoding the same search tree three hundred times is not going to make them richer, cooler or a better programmer. LISP is for people with time to waste.

    --

    Denial isn't just a river in Italy

    1. Re:It's about the API by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      FORTRAN is not twice as fast as C you tard only hand-coded assembly is faster (if your really good). Anyway, pull your head out you Java bigot and get a clue. Java's only strength is the "write-once, run-anywhere" portablility, other than that, it sucks. Its a HUGE memory hog, runs waaay slower than any other development platform, and is much too proprietary. Mod this up now! People need to learn!

  3. The old zealots are striking again. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Here we have again the old lisp zealots spreading propaganda that lisp is the superior language.
    While it has some advantages over C,C++ and Java when it come to symbolic computations (that's why it's heavily used in AI) and rapid prototyping, it's hard to learn and little suitable for time critical computations.

    The study cited is also very questionable, due to a low and strongly biased data set (only 14 programmers probably all lisp experts). And for a qualitative comparsion some should use a wide range of problems for testing and not only one.
    Honestly the "study" doesn't even get the predicate "research" for me. :P

  4. Re:GWB will take $10 BILLION from the social secur by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Thanks for the clarification. It's pretty clear that GWB is doing what's right for USA. Why should our great nation, founded by english genius, irish labour, italian crime syndicates and german beer be forced to support a multitude of peoples who weren't here to help make this nation what it is. I'm not implying that these are lesser peoples, but it's clear that they weren't willing to help build a nation, but they are now willing to benefit from what my ancestors wrought. Why should we pay cracker texans to get drunk and shoot cars, jungle bunny LA gangstas to get drunk and shoot mexicans, wetback mexicans to get drunk and emigrate illegally? We built this country, it's our money. That's 10 billion my government isn't going to give away to race traitors and foreign thieves. So-called liberals are always telling me that I owe a debt to my past, but they forget that these people owe a debt to my past, too, and their's is growing.

  5. Yeah, but just like zsnes and xmame by uchian · · Score: 0, Troll

    It's still an emulator.

  6. Re:ASSEMBLY IS THE FASTEST by Mike+Buddha · · Score: 1, Troll

    Lisp may be fast, but assembly is the fASTeST.

    Not to develop, not by several magnitudes, you l33t h4x0r, you.

    --
    by Mike Buddha -- Someday the mountain might get him, but the law never will.