> After all, Python has a repl too, they just call it a shell.
No. Most non-lispy (non-homoiconic) languages do not have "true" REPLs (and that includes Python as well). At best they are just that - interactive shells. To understand the distinction, one has to give a sincere heartfelt attempt to use a Lisp. Having able to evaluate any expression and sub-expression without any preceding ceremony is extremely empowering. There's a massive difference in the workflow - any experienced Lisper can attest to that. The benefits of homoiconicity are incredibly underrated in modern programming. Perhaps you just haven't used Lisp for long enough to learn how to appreciate it.
> It's just a language people.
Yes, it is. There are many different ways to express something like "number 42" - using ordinary objects like sticks, or by counting numbers out loud, or by writing the amount using words, or by applying mathematical sigma notation. And Mathematics is just a language as well. And when it comes to expressing something far less trivial than natural numbers, we have not yet discovered|invented better ways.
That all been said - Lisp syntax is not without certain disadvantages. But in many cases - the benefits outweigh the cost. That is why Lisp as an idea is still relevant, even after over six decades. And until we figure out (discover?) a better way, the ideas behind Lisp still would be very useful.
No. Most non-lispy (non-homoiconic) languages do not have "true" REPLs (and that includes Python as well). At best they are just that - interactive shells. To understand the distinction, one has to give a sincere heartfelt attempt to use a Lisp. Having able to evaluate any expression and sub-expression without any preceding ceremony is extremely empowering. There's a massive difference in the workflow - any experienced Lisper can attest to that. The benefits of homoiconicity are incredibly underrated in modern programming. Perhaps you just haven't used Lisp for long enough to learn how to appreciate it.
> It's just a language people.
Yes, it is. There are many different ways to express something like "number 42" - using ordinary objects like sticks, or by counting numbers out loud, or by writing the amount using words, or by applying mathematical sigma notation. And Mathematics is just a language as well. And when it comes to expressing something far less trivial than natural numbers, we have not yet discovered|invented better ways.
That all been said - Lisp syntax is not without certain disadvantages. But in many cases - the benefits outweigh the cost. That is why Lisp as an idea is still relevant, even after over six decades. And until we figure out (discover?) a better way, the ideas behind Lisp still would be very useful.