> the irb shell is not a real REPL.<p>What is a true repl?<p><pre><code> loop { puts eval(gets) }
</code></pre>
is a REPL. Just because you don't like what irb has to offer doesn't mean you get to define what REPL is.<p>> You can also do stuff like retrieve a database entry as a CLOS object and inspect or manipulate it<p>That's great. Just like you can retrieve database entries as activerecord objects.<p>> While I was taking SaaS-class, I missed the parentheses and as always, I got curious: how would Common Lisp compare?<p>For a regular CRUD task, Common Lisp compares badly. You say Rails convention is a steep learning curve, but I don't see how your folder structure is any easier to grok than Rails' if I am not already familiar with it. As far as naming convnetion goes, that might bite you sometimes when you are just starting, but use generators and "do as what is already done" and you will be good.<p>Common Lisp has its niceties - generally produces fast code, some abstractions are better done with macros etc. But for now, when compared to Rails for a regular CRUD app, it isn't going to look good. Someone can alwasy write Rails for Common Lisp, and then implement all plugins which ease development(devise, kaminari, paperclip...) - but no one has yet.
This is a survey at best. It jumps to strange or unsupported conclusions like "the irb shell is not a true REPL" and "Rails is probably the best way to go about a complex web application", and impressive WTFs like "Perhaps to get the best of both worlds, I should investigate calling Lisp code from Rails?"<p>However it does show step by step how to deploy Hunchentoot on Heroku. This builds on <a href="https://github.com/mtravers/heroku-buildpack-cl" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/mtravers/heroku-buildpack-cl</a> and <a href="https://github.com/jsmpereira/heroku-buildpack-cl" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/jsmpereira/heroku-buildpack-cl</a>, and includes Hunchentoot sample code similar to <a href="https://zaries.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/lisp-web-server-from-scratch-using-hunchentoot-and-nginx/" rel="nofollow">https://zaries.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/lisp-web-server-from...</a> .<p>It is this reliance on the frameworks and tutorials of others that makes a final bullet point ring hollow: "Lisp lacks a true community, the kind that powerfully drives Rails forward, resulting in great libraries, superb documentation and tutorials aplenty."<p>Skip the commentary, follow the code.
Another fucking blog using grey on white text. My poor eyes :(<p>Updated comment: article rocks - there goes my evening. Wonder if it'll work with SBCL.
There are some Common Lisp Web frameworks; you don't have to build your app directly out of Hunchentoot handlers and CL-WHO. I'm using Weblocks, for example. It has a variety of useful "widgets" including sorted, paginated tables.<p>The Weblocks learning curve is substantial, admittedly, but now that I've climbed it I find it very easy and fast to work in. I gather Rails has a bit of a learning curve as well.<p>I recommend Weblocks to those who already know Common Lisp, want a sophisticated, powerful framework, and don't mind extending it themselves when needed (obviously it's not as mature as Rails).
It's not very hard to do direct manipulation in the repl with Python & Django, I do it all the time when debugging.<p>I'm not sure how hard it is with Ruby & Rails.