RE: question: Embedded scripting language on console

Phil said:
>If programmers are going to be scripting, why not just let them use the
>same language the engine is written in?

and

>PS I do wonder why Lisp seems to be such a popular language to base custom
>solutions on though (both Halo and Jak & Daxter). Most programmers I know
>get headaches from Lisp syntax that I thought would fry the average
>designer. Is there something I'm missing?

Well, in Naughty Dog's case, the whole game is written in their Lisp
version, so they are indeed "scripting" in the same language the engine
is written in.

I don't know how much scripting their designers do, but I think their
programmers do a large part of it.

Syntax aside, Lisp is really ideal as a "scripting" language as it is
trivial to extend, can be changed on-the-fly at run time, is a higher-
level language, allows code to be treated as data, etc. On top of this,
compiled Lisp is just about as efficient as C/C++, see:

http://www.bagley.org/~doug/shootout/craps.shtml

In summary, because Lisp rules! ;)


The drawback is, I'd think, that the number of programmers proficient
in Lisp is somewhat smaller than the number of C-savvy programmers.


Christer Ericson
Sony Computer Entertainment, Santa Monica




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