LOGO-L> Re: what is logo useful for anyways?

[Peter Tomcsanyi <tomcsany@internet.sk>]

>Just a question about the uses of " and : before a Logo variable.
>In LISP, we use quote or not quote to decide whether we just use
>a symbol literally or to evaluate it. How come in Logo, we use
>two special characters, double quote  and colon, to distinguish
>these two?  We only have a comparatively small benefit of that,
>for example, we can use FD, as a variable name.
>
>Why is Logo designed like this?

Wen,

In Logo we have to distinguish between three kind of things: words (quoted
with "), variable values (:) and functions/commands (without a prefix).
The litle difference, which makes a big effect between Logo and Lisp is
that in Lisp you have to use parentheses to explain the interpreter which
not quoted name is the name of a function and which not quoted names are
names of variables.
In Lisp when you write (A (B C) D), then it is clear that A and B are
function names while C and D are variable names. In Logo if you would write
A B C D then nothing is clear and the poor Logo interpreter would have to
guess....


Regards

Peter Tomcsanyi

My favourite Logo:
http://logo.die.fmph.uniba.sk/logo/
http://www.logo.com/catalogue/titles/superlogo/index.html

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