[astrophysics]

Racket looks interesting. I am having trouble choosing between Racket and GNU Guile.

[neilv]

If you want a Scheme that's embedded in another program as an extension language, or to make software that's distributed normally as part of a Linux or BSD distro... probably Guile.

For most other practical purposes... probably Racket.

There are a few other options I still keep in mind, including Gambit and Chicken.

(Actually, lately, the "Lisp" I'm using is Python. Python is usually tolerable, and the huge ecosystem and easy employability are nice in some ways. But Lisp technical sophistication and community signal:noise ratio tend to increase with the percentage of parentheses. Not because parentheses are magical, though they are-- but because the parentheses Lisps are built on better original foundations, and then disproportionately attract people on technical merits rather than marketability.)

[boppo1]

I'm a trash python programmer. I duct tape tutorials and stack exchange answers together. I started working through SICP (stuck on pascal's triangle atm; don't help tho) to address this.

Do you think that's a reasonable way to become a more confident and employable programmer?

[bsaul]

Never understood why people call python a lisp. Isn’t the most peculiar feature of lisp homoiconicity ?

[vindarel]

What's magical is the very much interactive, image-based development, type warnings at compile time (function per function with a keystroke), speed, building binaries, stability… Python doesn't have that :/

(https://github.com/bendudson/py4cl/ to use python libs from CL!)

[rookderby]

Racket is awesome. If its your first lisp, then I reccomend working through a book. I had a great time with https://nostarch.com/realmofracket.htm

[melling]

Racket probably has much better performance.

https://benchmarksgame-team.pages.debian.net/benchmarksgame/...

[bjoli]

Not much better. About 2x for many things, but generally higher memory usage. Guile has a better multi-threading story with guile-fibers.

I went from racket to guile because I find guile more fun. For production things I would probably use racket (or even better Chez isbthat was an option), but guile is what I use to keep my soul.

[all_of_them]

If you need Windows support then Racket is the best option.

[Decabytes]

I’d say if you are developing on Windows to go with Racket. I’ve been unsuccessful in getting Guile running on Win10, and I don’t feel like compiling from source with minGW. Not saying it’s impossible but when you look at their download page there is no instructions for windows

[pjmlp]

If you want a Scheme with a development experience close to the Lisp Machines, pick Racket.

[alexshendi]

Development experience close to Lisp Machines???

Racket: From the people who brought you the quote: "the toplevel is hopeless".

[bjoli]

The racket top-level is pretty half-assed compared to something like SBCL. Compared to most schemes it is about 1/4 assed.

There is good reason for it in the racket context, but if you want a lisp machine you should pick something else.

[bigdict]

Try Chicken as well.