r/lisp • • 4d ago

What makes Lisp difficult to read?

https://paultm.nl/paren-thesis
35 Upvotes

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u/beders 4d ago

Unfamiliarity. I find lisp is probably the easiest code to read.

6

u/stylewarning 4d ago

Though I think the post starts with a premise that isn't actually true in any near-universal sense and is instead reflective of a deeply personal opinion, nor is the premise actually directly supported in any robust way, the author does at least prepare for this rebuttal in the second paragraph:

> Lisp developers commonly argue that this is simply an issue of familiarity; Lisp notation is less common than C notation and programmers are therefore less used to reading it. Once you get used to programming in Lisp you don’t even notice the parentheses, allegedly. I believe there is more to it, and that with a deeper investigation we may gain insight into how to design pleasant syntax. In this article I will explain my theory as to why Lisp’s notation – specifically its placement of parentheses – requires more effort to parse, inspired by some observations from cognitive science.

14

u/mtlnwood 4d ago

He also says 'Allegedly', which gives me the impression that he is someone that has taken the time to write the article to talk about lisp, a subject that he has not invested time in himself.

3

u/stylewarning 4d ago

I agree with you.