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Re: continuations and threads

This page is part of the web mail archives of SRFI 18 from before July 7th, 2015. The new archives for SRFI 18 contain all messages, not just those from before July 7th, 2015.



>>>>> "Matthias" == Matthias Felleisen <matthias@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

Matthias> May I ask a heretical question (especially from me): 

Not too heretical, considering Peter Lee's papers on the subject.

Matthias>  How many of you use call/cc and continuation objects 
Matthias>  (rather than mimicing continuations with lambda's)
Matthias>  in large programs? Do "we" really use it to implement 
Matthias>  coroutines and backtracking and threads and whatever? 

In general, sure.  You guys don't because call/cc is slow in MzScheme.

Matthias>  Is call/cc necessary for Scheme? 

Matthias> [Don't shoot. I wrote many papers on all aspects of call/cc
Matthias> but now that we're building large systems we should revisit 
Matthias> these questions. I'd love to be wrong here.]

It may often be possible to replace call/cc with something less
powerful in the final product.  It sure as hell is very useful for
experimentation during the development process.  Moreover, it's an
excellent teaching device.  (Also, there's the major coolness factor,
especially if you don't have hygienic macros :-} )

-- 
Cheers =8-} Mike
Friede, Völkerverständigung und überhaupt blabla