How come that if Lisp is so powerful, you can't overload functions?
Staging Area for the Common Lisp FAQIn some other language that shall stay nameless, you can initially write: int foo (int bar) { return bar + 42 ; } and later come back revisiting it because now you need an extra boolean argument.
Related QuestionsHow do I call non-Lisp functions from Lisp?
Kantrowitz & Margolin comp.lang.lisp FAQMost Lisp implementations for systems where Lisp is not the most common language provide a "foreign function" interface. As of now there has been no significant standardization effort in this area. They tend to be similar, but there are enough differences that it would be inappropriate to try to describe them all here.
Related QuestionsCan I call Lisp functions from other languages?
Kantrowitz & Margolin comp.lang.lisp FAQIn implementations that provide a foreign function interface as described above, there is also usually a "callback" mechanism. The programmer may associate a foreign language function name with a Lisp function. When a foreign object file or library is loaded into the Lisp address space, it is linked with these callback functions. As with foreign functions, the programmer must supply the argument and result data types so that Lisp may perform conversions at the interface.
Related QuestionsWHAT is a overload?
Spring Works - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) leaf spring ...overload is a second stage leaf spring which is engaged when load is applied. It is usually located at the bottom of a leaf spring assembly. Most of the time it is tapered. Top mount overloads are auxiliary overloads located at the top of a leaf spring assembly.
Related QuestionsHow come I can't find them?
The Great Morel - Frequently Asked QuestionsThis is a tough question for any morel hunter to answer and who hasn't or doesn't ask this question? Yes, even the most experienced hunter wonders this at times. If you've read any of the above FAQ's you should have the understanding that there are lots of variables; your region, your season, the weather, timing, and maybe the most mysterious is the spore that produces the morel. Not every area you venture into will have that patch waiting for you so keep searching.
Related QuestionsIs it possible to overload the rendering functions of Granny?
Granny 3D FAQYes. In fact, Granny doesn't technically "render" anything directly - she simply provides the application with vertex arrays and textures that are ready to pass directly to Direct3D or OpenGL. However, instead of handing them off, you can instead use them for other purposes, such as cartoon rendering or shadow-casting. We tried to leave it as open-ended as possible, because we know that everyone likes to do their rendering differently. Yes and no.
Related QuestionsWill Lisp come back to life?
Staging Area for the Common Lisp FAQIt might. The AI bust happened 20 years ago, and conditions in the semiconductor and IT industries are very different now. Most importantly, the continued action of Moore's Law has caused developer time to replace computing power as the limiting resource in both hardware and software design. In addition, mass-marketing of hardware and software products and the rise of server-based applications have all made rapid development a top priority in both hardware and software.
Related QuestionsWhy can't functions be recursive in Level 2?
SBML Frequently Asked QuestionsFunctions definitions in SBML Level 2 are designed to allow them to be substituted in place of the function call operator; that is, they are deliberately defined so that software tools can treat them like macros rather than functions. This would not be possible if functions were allowed to be recursive.
Related QuestionsIs Scheme a lisp?
Frequently Asked Questions for comp.lang.lispScheme is a member of the greater family of Lisp languages, assuming that is considered to include others like Dylan and Emacs Lisp. The design of Scheme predates the ANSI Common Lisp standard, and some CL features such as lexical scoping may be considered to have been derived from Scheme. More detailed comparative discussions don't generally prove very productive; those that are interested in discussing Scheme should first consider discussing it in comp.lang.
Related QuestionsWhy can't I overload a function by its return type?
Miscellaneous technical issues, C++ FAQ LiteIf you declare both char f() and float f(), the compiler gives you an error message, since calling simply f() would be ambiguous.
Related QuestionsHow powerful should my telescope be?
Howstuffworks "How Telescopes Work"This consideration is perhaps the most misleading to novice telescope buyers. Often, manufacturers of "cheap, department store" telescopes will display "200x power or more" on the boxes of their products. The magnification or power has little to do with the optical performance of the telescope, and is not a primary consideration.
Related QuestionsWhat is Lisp?
Lisp FAQLisp is a family of programming languages descended from a language John McCarthy invented (or more accurately, discovered) in the late 1950s. The two main dialects now are Common Lisp and Scheme. We're working on a new dialect called Arc.
Related QuestionsStaging Area for the Common Lisp FAQBut you now wish to add a special case. Simple: (defun foo (bar &optional (special-case nil)) (if special-case 0 (+ bar 42))) (foo 3) 45 (foo 3 t) 0 Rather than having to write two functions, with the oldest one delegating to the new one, you simply amend the existing one with optional arguments, all of which you give a default value that you can now account for in the new version.Related Questions
How come I can't get Daily Delivery?
ZoneChefs : FAQSthis time, daily delivery service is available in the New York Tri-State area , parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as Southern California . WEEKLY delivery service is available nationwide to 48 states.
Related QuestionsIf I can't come at the last minute, can I get a refund? How?
CAP National Honor Guard AcademyYes. Go to the NHQ website, click on cadet programs and than National Cadet Special Activity. You will see the procedures and requirements there. It depends on the situation as to how much refund will be issued because of items that had to be ordered. A full refund will not be issued after May 1st. No refunds will be issued until after the Academy is over. Back to Top
Related QuestionsHow can you help someone who's in the hospital and can't come to see you?
Institute for Health & Healing - About Us - FAQWe offer bedside services at the hospital and in outpatient clinics. These include therapeutic massage, guided imagery, expressive art therapy, and spiritual care. Many of these services are offered at no-charge. Spiritual care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The other services are available on more limited schedules, but we will do everything we can to accommodate the patients needs. Tell your nurse that you would like assistance from us, or call us at (415) 600-3939.
Related QuestionsHow come I can't find my class?
Frequently Asked Questions -- MCC OnlineBe sure to follow the directions for new Distance Learning Students. If you still can't find your class, wait until the start date of your course. Some instructors do not activate the class website until the official start date. If you can't find your course after that date, be sure to contact your instructor.
Related QuestionsIf homeopathy is so powerful, how come I haven't heard of it?
FAQHomeopathy was actually quite popular in the U.S. 150 years ago. Then, there were 22 homeopathic medical schools and 100 homeopathic hospitals. (As a historical note, the death rate from the Spanish Flu in homeopathic hospitals was much lower than of conventional hospitals.) However, the American Medical Association and the pharmaceutical industry wanted to eliminate any competition and unfortunately were successful in nearly wiping out homeopathy from this country.
Related QuestionsOffice of the Registrar - Frequently Asked QuestionsA student who wishes to carry an overload in any term must obtain the approval of his or her adviser and of the Dean or Associate Dean of Students on an Overload Petition available on REGIS.Related Questions
Why can't I be all big and powerful like you guys?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)In time... it takes awhile to get a single DK. Since you just joined, you have a long road ahead of you.
Related QuestionsHow can I call FORTRAN (C++, BASIC, Pascal, Ada, LISP) functions from C?
Frequently Asked Questions: C Language (abridged)The answer is entirely dependent on the machine and the specific calling sequences of the various compilers in use. Several freely distributable programs are available, namely ptoc, p2c, and f2c. See the full list for details.
Related QuestionsDo I have to come in to get help? I can't come in (homebound)?
Graceworks > FAQsYes, everyone must come into the office and apply for help. If you are in the hospital or homebound, your health care worker or social worker can apply for help on your behalf.
Related QuestionsWhy can't I call arbitrary functions in a guard?
Frequently Asked Questions about ErlangAlso, it is convenient to be able to program as though guards do not consume any significant amount of execution time. There's a list of BIFs which can be called from within guards in the Erlang book and the standard Erlang spec, some examples are size(), length(), integer(), record(). issue_warning() -> if (os:type() == {win32, windows}) -> %% illegal guard ok = io:fwrite("you are using windows\n"); true -> ok = io:fwrite("no problem\n") end.
Related QuestionsWhere can I get Emacs Lisp packages that don't come with Emacs?
GNU Emacs FAQThe Emacs Lisp List (ELL), maintained by Stephen Eglen, aims to provide one compact list with links to all of the current Emacs Lisp files on the Internet. The ELL can be browsed over the web, or from Emacs with the ell package. Many authors post their packages to the Emacs sources newsgroup. You can search the archives of this group with Google, or Gmane, for example. For a long time, the Emacs Lisp Archive provided a central repository for Emacs packages.
Related QuestionsCome on, indulge us. Why do people say Lisp is slow?
Staging Area for the Common Lisp FAQSome people associate Lisp with the old hardware it used to run on (the PDP-10 was a popular platform, I hear) Lisp is interactive, which a lot of people take to mean that Lisp is (always) interpreted. Early lisps (and others, like CLisp) are interpreted, although most modern lisps are compiled.
Related QuestionsYou see how POWERFUL this system is?
GoGetCash - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and their Answ...If you however want to get the ABSOLUTE best and fastest results from this system, then you can do this with MORE spots at a time. As each of the spots pay you when you move up, you simply SAVE your PROFIT and reinvest the remaining BACK into the system. This makes the system more interesting and ensures that you receive your payments quicker and easier because as you are doing this, others are equally doing the same thing-- so EVERYONE benefits and everyone continues to play this system.
Related QuestionsIs my computer powerful enough?
Public chatYou need at least a Pentium II with 125MB of memory (though we encourage more), high-speed internet access, and a webcam.
Related QuestionsWhere can I find free lisp compilers or interpreters?
Frequently Asked Questions for comp.lang.lispA lightweight common lisp interpreter and compiler, which compiles to bytecode, and runs on Windows, AmigaOS, Acorns, OS/2 and most flavours of Unix. CLISP's implementation of CLOS is currently not quite complete. CLISP is licensed under the GNU GPL. CMUCL interpreter and optimizing compiler to native code running on a few flavours of Unix (including x86/FreeBSD, x86/Linux and sparc/Solaris). CMUCL can be difficult to compile; it requires itself to build itself, and bootstrapping is an issue.
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