This short article discusses upcoming changes and future challenges for ASDF, the Common Lisp build system. It also draws lessons for a hypothetical successor to ASDF, for build systems in general, languages in which to write them, and languages that would have an internal build system that could rival with modern build systems.

ASDF, "Another ( Read more... )

I don't design myself. I evolve from countless interactions, of which the conscious mind is but the emerged part, that neither designs nor builds itself nor the rest of me. At best, it might steer me towards improvement - but the direction it steers won't be improvement if it is blind of who I am, where I am, what are the obstacles, what are my ( Read more... )

Google AutoValue: what in Lisp would take a few hundred lines max in Java is over 10000 lines not counting many, many libraries. Just WOW!

Thus, Java has macros too, it's just that they are 10 to 100 times more programmer-intensive than Lisp macros. I feel like I'm back in the dark ages.

Even for "normal" programming without new macros, a program ( Read more... )

I've decided that from now on, I will publish more links on my blog.

A Libertarian Gem Available Again, by Tom Palmer. (In Paris, my parents live rue Augustin Thierry. And yes, his history of medieval England is Great.)

Don't Do Me Any Favors, by Bryan Caplan.

A libertarian classic: The Incredible Bread MachineAnyone who designs anything should ( Read more... )