From: cfurlong@wpi.WPI.EDU (Cosme Furlong Vazquez)
Subject: You see!!
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 01:54:32 GMT


|>>In a previous article Gary Oberbrunner writes:

|>>In conclusion, AutoLisp is just barely suitable (IMHO) for writing simple
|>>keyboard macros.  For serious applications, I would *not* recommend it.
|>>It's obvious that the folks at AutoDesk have never used AutoLisp for even
|>>one real AutoCAD-based application.

>Wrong! Autodesk sells a very large package for Architechtural drawings
>that is written entirely in Autolisp and my company has been selling an 
>NC programming package that comprises over 1.3 Meg of Autolisp source code!
>
------------
Sorry, but I have programmed NC code for a milling machine and its not
that big deal. Which supports Gary's arguments. The size of the "source"
code is nothing but data for the specific NC machine(s). It doesn't have
real "code".
---------------

|>>I have used regular lisp (Common Lisp) somewhat extensively, and I've
|>>written a few thousand lines of AutoLisp, and I can tell you unequivocally
|>>that AutoLisp is *not* a real lisp.
---------------
I do absolutely agree on that!!!. 
---------------
>
>Most definitely true, but the original version ran in 64K and was
>a very safe environment (no way to crash AutoCAD).  I too miss

---------------
It seems that you haven't use the program for real enginnering
applications.
---------------

>the 'standard' lisp functions that really allow you modify the
>language.  IMHO Autolisp was NOT intended to be a full blown LISP 
>interpreter, but a simple interactive language to program AutoCAD in.
>
>AutoCAD also now features C programming linked in through AutoLISP,
>so that a developer can now write his own AutoLISP functions.
>
|>>- No variable length argument lists (though built-in funcs can have them).
>
>C functions can have variable length argument lists.
>
---------------
But they don't work well with acad!!!
---------------

|>>- Access to AutoCAD functions is clumsy at best, and at worst in some cases
|>>  impossible (if you can't predict which prompts will come up, you can't
|>>  make it work).
>
>Every AutoCAD 'function' is designed as a command that the user
>types in or picks from the menu.  You can do anything a user can do
>plus have direct access to the AutoCAD database.  What else is there?
>

|>>- No access to AutoCAD internals such as line intersection, pt-in-poly.

>Wrong, line-line intersection has been available since R9.
>And full geometric routines (in C) have been available since R11.

-----------------
True!!!
-----------------
|>>- Very slow.

>Any LISP on a PC is going to be slow!
-----------------
Do you know what are you talking about????
----------------

|>>- No debugger (just stack trace with no line numbers, no local vars, etc.)
|>>- etc...

>The AutoLISP compiler from Autodesk LTD contains various debugging
>features as well as increased load/exectution speed.
>
>In conclusion, when we develop, we prototype in AutoLISP because it
>takes two-thirds less code and is three times quicker than developing
>in C.  Only the purely computational routines are coded in 'C' for speed.
>-- 
>Chris Arps  ***BUY MARTIAN************ *New Music*SONIC YOUTH*SUICIDAL TEND*
>NC/Scientific Software, Music,         *GARY NEUMAN*K. SCHULZE*PETER HAMILL*
>Animation, 4 Dogs,1 Birds,1 cat        *Old Music*SPIRIT*MMANN*VDGG*HENDRIX*
>NC Microproducts, 2323 N Central Ste 380, Richardson TX 75080 214-234-6655*

These comments are not "constructive" at all, they just show
simple justifications to core problems in acad. 
I repeat I think acad is just for pure drafting and not for
real enginnering applications.

Comments??, please post them in these group. No direct mail.

Cosme Furlong

--------------------------
These are my own opinions and not
of the institution I work for.
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-- 

Cosme Furlong.
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cfurlong@wpi.wpi.edu