What are the pros and cons of Lisp (or any other language for that matter)? In my undergraduate days (oh so many decades ago), I was introduced to Lisp. For so

What are the pros and cons of Lisp (or any other language for that matter)? In my undergraduate days (oh so many decades ago), I was introduced to Lisp. For some of the problems we were solving, it was the perfect tool. For others, a different language could be used. The pros of Lisp (in all its varieties) are in many ways the cons of Lisp. The macro system is both beneficial and antagonistic to the development of sane programs. Used judiciously, macros may life writing code much easier. However, it is not uncommon for Lisp programmers to write macros without consideration for those who come after them. This is, of course, true for any language. There are some major systems out there that are written in Lisp and when trying to change them (in a maintenance way), it is just as painful as in pretty much any other language. The competent and talented Lisp programmers is imbued with the same arrogance that C++ competent and talented programmers have. Tricky programming is fine if it is fully documented and the reasoning for the tricks is fully explained. Lisp and its variations have much to offer the programming community. But the way programs are written quickly diminishes the effectiveness of the language for the larger community. Each language has features that can be of use to each of us. they are tools we can use to solve the problems we are facing. No one language is suitable for all problems. If you have that attitude then you only see hammers and nails.