Re: data structures <--> functions

[clyde!watmath!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utai!jeem@rutgers.edu (Jim des Rivieres)]

In article <9597@mimsy.UUCP>, Greg Johnson asks how much of a loss would it be
to not have a mechanism for a lisp program to build a data structure and then
use it as an executable function?

An analogous question: How much of a loss would it be if all of a standard
stored-program computer's instructions had to reside in read-only memory?

The answer in both cases is that, while the vast majority of programmers would
not be directly inconvenienced by the lack of meta-level facilities , it would
be absolutely crippling to the system programmers that have to supply the
editors, compilers, linkers, and debuggers for that system.