TE
TechEcho
Home24h TopNewestBestAskShowJobs
GitHubTwitter
Home

TechEcho

A tech news platform built with Next.js, providing global tech news and discussions.

GitHubTwitter

Home

HomeNewestBestAskShowJobs

Resources

HackerNews APIOriginal HackerNewsNext.js

© 2025 TechEcho. All rights reserved.

Aha! moments in Lisp... What were your 'Aha moments' in your favorite language?

2 pointsby NickSmithabout 17 years ago

3 comments

astonabout 17 years ago
You get a similar feeling with Javascript by reading the source code of libraries like prototype.js or jQuery. Lots of "Wait, you can do that in Javascript?!?" moments.
dmbabout 17 years ago
Python: - the first time I concisely solved a seemingly complex problem with a few list comprehensions and a well thought out structure of maps and lists<p>C: - Using an include file as a simple database and redefining a macro to form a primitive code generator (first saw this in a CPU simulator)<p>Haskell: - SPJ's books on implementing functional languages -- the simple beginning pieces seemed to generate more Aha moments (pretty printing and parsing)<p>While none of these are specific to the given language, they represent points-of-no-return for a change in the way I think about solving (or even representing) problems.
edw519about 17 years ago
My Aha moment was the first time I saw one program produce output which was the source code of a new program. Today we call that "code generation". Back then, I called it "the day everything changed". To this day, whenever I write something, I ask myself, "What could have generated that?"<p>Works well in any language.