Subject: If then else and unevaluated conditionals
From: Robert Dodier
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 14:03:55 -0700
On 1/29/07, Michel Van den Bergh <michel.vandenbergh at uhasselt.be> wrote:
> But I am just trying to do a mental exercise about the ideal maxima language
> where there would be a clear separation between language
> and data (the latter would be maxima expressions i.e essentially
> s-expressions internally).
For better or worse, Maxima doesn't make a clear distinction between
language and data (and for my part, I don't want it to make that distinction).
Code = data is of course inherited from Lisp, and, while we're not obliged
to accept Lisp's idiosyncrasies as Maxima's, in this case I think we would
be giving up a concept of great power and utility if we did.
I can't see what's the use of making a clear distinction between code
and data. If Maxima did that, it would just be another Algol-like
derivative (and far from the most sophisticated one).
All the best,
Robert