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NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 09 Aug 2026 23:09:08 +0000
From: steve g <Sgonedes1977@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Subject: Re: Resources to learn common lisp?
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Jyyohann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> writes:

> I've never really gotten the hang of when I need to use (gensym) and
> and when I don't.  If I ever reach those heights of Common Lisp arcana,
> I may change my mind and use macros all the time.

using macros to enhance performance is usually a bad idea. The macros
save time.

(macrolet ((def-optimize (name args &body forms)
               ;; Optimize a function for inlining.
               (assert (symbolp name))
             `(progn
                (declaim (inline ,name))
	            (defun ,name ,args
                  ;; these
	              (declare (optimize speed (compilation-speed 0) (debug 1) (safety 2) (space 0)))
	              ,@forms))))

  (def-optimize list-length=1 (lst)
	(declare (list lst))
	"Return T or nil if length of the list <lst> is one."
	(and (consp lst) (null (cdr lst)))
))

I find this better than rewriting a bunch of code or implementing
defsubst. Macros should not be an initial response. wait until you think
you need them... IMHO




> Chances are, I won't.  I have this feeling that macros should be used as
> a last resort, and not as the first /weapon of choice/ when coding Comm-
> on Lisp.
>
>> Common Lisp is big and there’s plenty worth using in the rest of the
>> language.
>> 
>
> Indeed, and QuickLisp makes it bigger.  It's perhaps the major reason I
> find myself faster at coding certain tasks in Common Lisp than most
> other programming languages.  Though packages of various types are now
> commonplace in other common programming languages.
>
> Perhaps the major beauty of the Common Lisp social culture, is the disc-
> ipline of keeping interfaces stable.  As far as I've heard, the /Python-
> ic/ interfaces are always in flux, perhaps because their Python is ever
> writhing?  It didn't help when they ditched the syntax of Python 2.7.
> Many people whose code got obsolete decided never to use that language
> again.  And with good reason.
>
> Of course, cultures change, but Common Lisp is eternal.  I'm sure we can
> still code all of our websites with Hunchentoot without ever having the
> need to learn something new, several hundred years from now.
>
>
> Happy coding in Common Lisp!