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From: k p c <kpc@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov>
Subject: CLtL2 series functions: why so obscure?
Message-ID: <1996Jan7.035820.7902@ptolemy-ethernet.arc.nasa.gov>
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Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 04:06:29 GMT
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.lisp:20405 comp.lang.misc:24235

_Common Lisp, the Language_ by Steele has an appendix in which series
functions are described.

I have never seen series as a built in part of any programming
language.  (Streams, sequences, loops, recursion, branches, mapping,
reduction, closures, and lazy evaluation, but not the combination.)  I
have not seen implementations in languages other than CL.

Why are they obscure?  I can guess at reasons having to do with
tradition or perhaps implementation or perhaps design, but maybe
somebody very familiar with series can write a plausible story.

Clearly effort went into them.  They lead to terse code.  Are they
being used a lot but just in obscure circles?

IMHO series are not orthogonal with CL streams and sequences.
Nomenclature is different.  Has anybody implemented a set of functions
that operate on the the three S's orthogonally?  (I am leaving loops
out of it for now.)

The FAQ says this is flame bait, but I have seen no flames on
iterators in ages.  The ANSI standard is probably more stable than it
was when that part of the FAQ was written.

If you post a followup to this article, I would appreciate a courtesy
verbatim copy by email to help work around potentially unreliable feeds.

---
kpc@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov.  AI, multidisciplinary neuroethology, info filtering.
Prescriptions are no more moral than ration slips for food, vitamins, or shoes.
