[AccessD] OT: Memory Lane. IBM Key Punch

Hi Jim

Oh, don't bother, that dating would not be very precise!
I don't know about LISP these days but Prolog is indeed alive and ready on hand:

  http://www.visual-prolog.com/

The Personal Edition is free to use.
Note the alpha version of version 7 which - much to my disappointment - now allows "normal" structures like if-then-else:

  http://www.visual-prolog.com/vip6/Support/version_news/vip63/news_vip70_alpha.htm

I thought we never would see that as it certainly will kill some of the beauty of Prolog.

/gustav

>>> accessd at shaw.ca 29-12-2005 23:19 >>>
Gustav... At the risk of dating myself; I played with both Lisp and Prolog
but after progressing beyond the Comodore64 never used it again. Sort of
sad.

Jim 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com 
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Gustav Brock
Sent: December 29, 2005 12:07 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com 
Subject: [AccessD] OT: Memory Lane. IBM Key Punch

Hi all, not Friday yet, but ...

Joel Spolsky is sometimes rambling a bit but his recent blurb is quite
entertaining:

  The Perils of JavaSchools
  http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/ThePerilsofJavaSchools.html 

He is not nice with the Java boys but what do we care.

Note, however, the picture of the IBM 026 Key Punch. 
This is before my time but click on it and find a new link:

  http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/029.html 

This is the 029 Key Punch which we used at the technical university here. Oh
boy, did we punch some cards! I can still remember the unique feeling of the
keys and the massive low-frequence sound for every punch. What a piece of
machinery!

Also, note the link to the Blub Programmers and this quote:

  Lisp is worth learning for the profound 
  enlightenment experience you will have 
  when you finally get it; that experience
  will make you a better programmer for 
  the rest of your days, even if you never 
  actually use Lisp itself a lot. 

I have only "tasted" LISP. All I remember is a feeling of the wonderful
different syntax. 
Has anyone here learned and used it?

/gustav