RE: RE: Auto Fill Comments

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> Example of such well hyperlinked document is the Common Lisp
> Hyperspec:
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.lispworks.com/documentation/Hype
> rSpec/Body/03_dd.htm__;!!GqivPVa7Brio!M0oMWYk7ycXnM09iZWgxA9rs9YHwszzUU
> mkxyu4rqQ8q1NPYUklPucBUWHTBipB9$
> 
> Documentation of the Common Lisp Hyperspec if very complex but with
> finely grained references hyperlinks it becomes pleasure to learn and
> programmers can orient themselves easier in the apparently complex
> document. That is example of complex instructions well prepared for
> easier understanding.

FWIW -

Though I use the hyperspec sometimes I vastly
prefer CLTL2.  It gives you conceptual info
about the language and Lisp generally (in
addition to giving the API info that the
hyperspec provides).

CLTL describes the language design, and tells
you reasons why it's the way it is, as well as
some of the important consequences.  Someone
wondering about the seeming oddities of Lisp
will begin to understand them with CLTL.

In a nutshell, it shows you Lisp, what it is
and why.  No doubt that's why it has the title
it does: Common Lisp The Language.

You don't get that from the hyperspec.  The
hyperspec is essentially just API doc - it
provides little understanding.  (Yes, it's
hyperlinked, which is good.)

You can actually sit down and learn Common
Lisp (and Lisp generally) by reading CLTL.
It takes you from pretty much no knowledge to
pretty much complete info about the language.

CLTL is not a how-to book - not a tutorial.
It's a spec of the language, but in English,
not algebra.

(Another book that's in a similar spirit, but
isn't a spec of a particular language, is
Abelson & Sussman's Structure & Interpretation
of Computer Programs.)