Re: Lua is about to become history

[Bret Victor <bret@...>]

Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo <lhf <at> tecgraf.puc-rio.br> writes:

> The current version of the paper is available at
> 	http://www.tecgraf.puc-rio.br/~lhf/ftp/doc/hopl.pdf

I thought of a couple additions which might be interesting
to readers.

Section 7.1, first paragraph:

> We have resisted user pressure for including other data
> structures, mainly ‘real’ arrays and tuples, first by being
> stubborn, but also by providing tables with an efficient
> implementation and a flexible design.

You might want to mention that userdata can be used to
implement arbitrary low-level data structures with a 
transparent interface, as a further example of Lua's
extensibility.

Section 7.1, fifth paragraph:

> Since its first version Lua has had “real” users, that is, 
> users others than ourselves, who care not about the 
> language itself but only about how to use it productively. 
> Users have always given important contributions to the 
> language, through suggestions, complaints, use reports, 
> and questions.

You might want to mention (if it's actually true!) that Lua
has experienced more backwards-incompatible changes
than most languages as it evolved, and that its current
simplicity and elegance owe a lot to having discarded
cruft as better ideas came along.  You can discuss why
the Lua userbase is tolerant of backwards-incompatibility:
that an interpreter is typically embedded into apps, that
the userbase is relatively small and enthusiastic, etc.

-Bret