

Why use lisp/scheme/arc rather than c# and Visual Studio on Windows? - geekiac

I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction as to the reasons for using lisp/scheme/arc rather than c#/ASP.NET in a Windows environment.  I may need to be able to integrate with .NET or COM components and to access SQL Server databases. I also have requirements to create Windows Services (daemons).
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
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wanorris
If you _have_ to integrate with all that Windows stuff, you may be better off
using Windows-native tools. On the other hand, that doesn't mean you have to
use C#.

You might want to look into IronPython or IronScheme. You can use all the .Net
libraries and Windows tools that let you integrate with all your checklist
items cleanly, but you can use it from a more powerful dynamic language.

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gruseom
The reasons are the same as they usually are: with a higher-level language and
more dynamic environment, programs are smaller, easier to write, and easier to
change.

There are libraries for integrating Lisp programs with .NET and SQL. I'm not
sure about Windows services, though. Check that first.

Are you asking as a programmer trying to make up your own mind or because you
want to make a case to a manager or decision maker?

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geekiac
I have been developing in c# and ASP.NET for around 8 years and developing
professionally for about 15 years. I have been looking into lisp/scheme and
just wondered what other people thought. I have dabbled with python, ruby and
smalltalk recently aswell, however people do seem to like this thing called
lisp. I have been trying to work out what the fuss was all about. I want to be
able to develop quickly and do find the Visual Studio environment and the .NET
framework very helpful when you are looking for functions. However i get
frustrated with how verbose the language is and I do miss the ability to
modify the program at runtime which I was able to do back in my FoxPro days!!

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giardini
8 years of C# and .NET?

IIRC it was introduced in 2001.

How many years of Java do you have? 20 or 25?

~~~
geekiac
Ok my bad. When you get to my age your memory ain't so good!!!

Any advice on lisp/scheme?

