Re:Compiling a Lisp to x86-64: Let expressions
by pfdietz on Friday October 02, 2020 @07:46PM
(#24668188)
Let's go with this restatement.
It's one of the features of Common Lisp that things that might be buried in the compiler in other languages are surfaced and made available to the user. This means a great deal of the language's standard functionality can be implemented as if it were in "user space". Macros, readtables, method combinations, setf expanders and generalized places, for example.
IMO, if Common Lisp were to be extended (it probably won't be, at least officially, as there's no money for another whack at a standard) I think it would be best even if more "internal" features were surfaced this way, and made available for user extension.
It's one of the features of Common Lisp that things that might be buried in the compiler in other languages are surfaced and made available to the user. This means a great deal of the language's standard functionality can be implemented as if it were in "user space". Macros, readtables, method combinations, setf expanders and generalized places, for example.
IMO, if Common Lisp were to be extended (it probably won't be, at least officially, as there's no money for another whack at a standard) I think it would be best even if more "internal" features were surfaced this way, and made available for user extension.