5 ms·

Let’s LISP like it’s 1959 [video]

183 points by DyslexicAtheist 8y ago

qntty 8y ago
Code on github: https://github.com/krig/LISP https://github.com/krig/LISP
openloop 8y ago
Lets.
akuji1993 8y ago
Let's LISP again, like we did last summer!
- tjr 8y ago
  The things we Lisped last summer, we'll remember AI winter long?
  - DyslexicAtheist 8y ago
    he is making a Lisp, he is checking it twice ...
KineticLensman 8y ago
I'm currently working through the implementation of my own personal Lisp, following the awesome MAL process [0]. It's instructive to compare the result with the language as defined in the early 60s and available to programmers then (e.g. as defined by the Lisp manual referenced in the video). One thing that immediately stood out was the use of GOTO ('GO' actually) in the early Lisp rather than some sort of loop or tail recursion. Incidentally, I've been wondering what app I should write to test my Lisp. The obvious end-state mentioned in the MAL guide is to self-host a Lisp, but I'm thinking it would be more appropriate (and fun) to re-implement one of the early chatbots like ELIZA [1]. [0] https://github.com/kanaka/mal/blob/master/process/guide.md https://github.com/kanaka/mal/blob/master/process/guide.md [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA
- gekkonier 8y ago
  I would consider writing a small standardlib for your lisp. While writing it you will encounter things you can optimize perhaps.
  - KineticLensman 8y ago
    Cool! That is a great offer. If you watch my progress SITREPs at [0] you'll get a feel for when it might ready. I'm behind on the SITREP updates but I'm in fact just debugging macro expansion (step 8) at the moment. [0] https://www.non-kinetic-effects.co.uk/blog/2019/01/21/MAL-2 https://www.non-kinetic-effects.co.uk/blog/2019/01/21/MAL-2
    - nikofeyn 8y ago
      i read his comment as “[if i were you] i would consider...”.
      - gekkonier 8y ago
        Yes, I'm sorry. It was meant as an answer to 'Incidentally, I've been wondering what app I should write to test my Lisp.'
        KineticLensman 8y ago
        My bad! And I can't even claim not to be a native-English speaker. It is a good idea and in fact I'm already sort of going down that route. I'm finding that using macros to define new functionality (rather than extend the core set of built-in functions) is a good way to tease out implementation issues as they somewhat stress the underlying mechanisms. I think my first lib functions will be IO-related.
  - selimthegrim 8y ago
    I too might have a couple things in mind. How do I get in touch with you (gp, KineticLensman although happy to hear from immediate parent too)?
globolglo 8y ago
this was an excellent history lesson on multiple levels. The final personal remarks about how the speaker connects the ethos of open source to his family history was an unexpected turn.
wooby 8y ago
If you're interested, it's also possible to run the actual original Lisp 1.5 on emulated hardware via SIMH. See this page: http://web.sonoma.edu/users/l/luvisi/ http://web.sonoma.edu/users/l/luvisi/ I got it running on my Mac a few months ago. SIMH is on Homebrew.
reikonomusha 8y ago
If you’re interested in hacking on some modern Common Lisp code, Rigetti Computing (which sells access to quantum computers) open-sourced their SDK, which includes a high-performance quantum simulator called the QVM [1] and an optimizing compiler quilc [2] for their quantum programming language called Quil. All of it is written in CL. [1] https://github.com/rigetti/qvm https://github.com/rigetti/qvm [2] https://github.com/rigetti/quilc https://github.com/rigetti/quilc
- yvdriess 8y ago
  There seems to be some attraction to CL for QC researchers. I also used CL for my PhD's QC compiler and VM. Although my low-lv QVM was written in C, it takes s-expr input. I'm a bit sad it wasn't cited by the Quil guys :p https://github.com/yvdriess/mcc https://github.com/yvdriess/mcc https://github.com/yvdriess/qvm https://github.com/yvdriess/qvm
leoc 8y ago
Is Steve Russell still on hand to demonstrate the PDP-1 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View from time to time?
- enf 8y ago
  He and Peter Samson gave the Spacewar demo last August 4th, on the Vintage Computer Festival day.
hk-mars 8y ago
I am LISPing in this summer:)
Wyndtroy2012 8y ago
Anyone that likes Lisp should take a look at Factor. Even simpler syntax (RPN instead of prefix, less parenthesis), Lispy generics, functional, procedural, scripting, arbitrary data literals, full of meta goodness, clean good small understandable library, batteries included, sub-languages, REPL + image + source files, low and high level. Inspired in Lisp, Joy, Smalltalk and Forth (and with some things in common with Rebol).

qntty 8y ago

Code on github: https://github.com/krig/LISP https://github.com/krig/LISP

openloop 8y ago

Lets.

akuji1993 8y ago

Let's LISP again, like we did last summer!

tjr 8y ago
The things we Lisped last summer, we'll remember AI winter long?
- DyslexicAtheist 8y ago
  he is making a Lisp, he is checking it twice ...

KineticLensman 8y ago

I'm currently working through the implementation of my own personal Lisp, following the awesome MAL process [0]. It's instructive to compare the result with the language as defined in the early 60s and available to programmers then (e.g. as defined by the Lisp manual referenced in the video). One thing that immediately stood out was the use of GOTO ('GO' actually) in the early Lisp rather than some sort of loop or tail recursion. Incidentally, I've been wondering what app I should write to test my Lisp. The obvious end-state mentioned in the MAL guide is to self-host a Lisp, but I'm thinking it would be more appropriate (and fun) to re-implement one of the early chatbots like ELIZA [1]. [0] https://github.com/kanaka/mal/blob/master/process/guide.md https://github.com/kanaka/mal/blob/master/process/guide.md [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA

gekkonier 8y ago
I would consider writing a small standardlib for your lisp. While writing it you will encounter things you can optimize perhaps.
- KineticLensman 8y ago
  Cool! That is a great offer. If you watch my progress SITREPs at [0] you'll get a feel for when it might ready. I'm behind on the SITREP updates but I'm in fact just debugging macro expansion (step 8) at the moment. [0] https://www.non-kinetic-effects.co.uk/blog/2019/01/21/MAL-2 https://www.non-kinetic-effects.co.uk/blog/2019/01/21/MAL-2
  - nikofeyn 8y ago
    i read his comment as “[if i were you] i would consider...”.
    - gekkonier 8y ago
      Yes, I'm sorry. It was meant as an answer to 'Incidentally, I've been wondering what app I should write to test my Lisp.'
      - KineticLensman 8y ago
        My bad! And I can't even claim not to be a native-English speaker. It is a good idea and in fact I'm already sort of going down that route. I'm finding that using macros to define new functionality (rather than extend the core set of built-in functions) is a good way to tease out implementation issues as they somewhat stress the underlying mechanisms. I think my first lib functions will be IO-related.
- selimthegrim 8y ago
  I too might have a couple things in mind. How do I get in touch with you (gp, KineticLensman although happy to hear from immediate parent too)?

globolglo 8y ago

this was an excellent history lesson on multiple levels. The final personal remarks about how the speaker connects the ethos of open source to his family history was an unexpected turn.

wooby 8y ago

If you're interested, it's also possible to run the actual original Lisp 1.5 on emulated hardware via SIMH. See this page: http://web.sonoma.edu/users/l/luvisi/ http://web.sonoma.edu/users/l/luvisi/ I got it running on my Mac a few months ago. SIMH is on Homebrew.

reikonomusha 8y ago

If you’re interested in hacking on some modern Common Lisp code, Rigetti Computing (which sells access to quantum computers) open-sourced their SDK, which includes a high-performance quantum simulator called the QVM [1] and an optimizing compiler quilc [2] for their quantum programming language called Quil. All of it is written in CL. [1] https://github.com/rigetti/qvm https://github.com/rigetti/qvm [2] https://github.com/rigetti/quilc https://github.com/rigetti/quilc

yvdriess 8y ago
There seems to be some attraction to CL for QC researchers. I also used CL for my PhD's QC compiler and VM. Although my low-lv QVM was written in C, it takes s-expr input. I'm a bit sad it wasn't cited by the Quil guys :p https://github.com/yvdriess/mcc https://github.com/yvdriess/mcc https://github.com/yvdriess/qvm https://github.com/yvdriess/qvm

leoc 8y ago

Is Steve Russell still on hand to demonstrate the PDP-1 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View from time to time?

enf 8y ago
He and Peter Samson gave the Spacewar demo last August 4th, on the Vintage Computer Festival day.

hk-mars 8y ago

I am LISPing in this summer:)

Wyndtroy2012 8y ago

Anyone that likes Lisp should take a look at Factor. Even simpler syntax (RPN instead of prefix, less parenthesis), Lispy generics, functional, procedural, scripting, arbitrary data literals, full of meta goodness, clean good small understandable library, batteries included, sub-languages, REPL + image + source files, low and high level. Inspired in Lisp, Joy, Smalltalk and Forth (and with some things in common with Rebol).