What is a LISP computer?

LISP, an acronym for list processing, is a programming language that was designed for easy manipulation of data strings. Developed in 1959 by John McCarthy, it is a commonly used language for artificial intelligence (AI) programming. In LISP, all computation is expressed as a function of at least one object.

Does 2021 still use Lisp?

Lisp is the second-oldest high-level programming language still in use (after Fortran) and the first functional language. At present, the best-known dialects are Common Lisp, Scheme, Racket and Clojure.

What is a Symbolics Lisp Machine?

The Symbolics Lisp Machines were also sold to some non-AI markets like computer graphics, modeling, and animation. The MIT-derived Lisp machines ran a Lisp dialect named Lisp Machine Lisp, descended from MIT’s Maclisp. The operating systems were written from the ground up in Lisp, often using object-oriented extensions.

What is the advantage of Lisp over other programming languages?

Bottom line is the phrase “programmable programming language” — the ability to customise the language to your domain or preferred style. A Lisp program tends to provide a much clearer mapping between your ideas about how the program works and the code you actually write.

Which companies made Lisp machines in the 1980s?

Several firms built and sold Lisp machines in the 1980s: Symbolics (3600, 3640, XL1200, MacIvory, and other models), Lisp Machines Incorporated (LMI Lambda), Texas Instruments ( Explorer and MicroExplorer ), and Xerox ( Interlisp -D workstations).

How hard is it to learn Lisp?

Lisp takes some effort to really “get”, but it’s worth it, because learning Lisp really will make you a better programmer in other languages. For instance, once you really “get” closures, you’ll understand Java’s inner classes. And once you “get” first-class functions, you’ll be depressed every time you use a language without them.