The Most Popular Lisp Dialect: A Comparison of Common Lisp, Scheme, and Clojure

In the context of the Lisp dialects used in the real world, Common Lisp remains the most established and widely used. This dialect is particularly favored in academic and industrial settings, especially for tasks like artificial intelligence and complex system development. However, other dialects such as Scheme and Clojure also hold significant ground, each with its unique advantages and use cases.

Common Lisp

Common Lisp is the most prominent Lisp dialect in both academic and industrial contexts. It is known for its robust feature set and extensive library support, making it a go-to choice for advanced programming tasks. Common Lisp's dynamic typing and flexible syntax allow for highly complex and specialized applications, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analysis, and complex system development.

Scheme

Scheme, another popular dialect, is often utilized in educational and research settings. Its minimalist design and simplicity make it an excellent tool for teaching fundamental programming concepts and experimental research. Scheme has a strong community and is used in various academic projects, contributing to its widespread adoption in educational environments.

Clojure

Clojure stands out due to its modern approach and running on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This interoperability with Java makes Clojure particularly appealing for web development and functional programming. Its strong emphasis on concurrency and modern features like defn- and macroexpand-1 (described in its documentation) have contributed to its growing popularity.

Real-World Usage

When considering production code, Common Lisp often emerges as the most prominent choice. However, Emacs Lisp stands out in terms of running instances, given its extensive use within the Emacs text editor. For new code being written, Clojure appears to have the most momentum, driven by its modern features and growing community.

Popularity Through History

From a historical perspective, the most popular Lisp dialect has been Common Lisp. This is often attributed to its longevity and broad application in various industries. Even today, Common Lisp retains substantial popularity, though its developer community is quite diverse. Many companies attempt to hire Common Lisp programmers, highlighting its continued relevance.

Learning Lisp

For developers new to Lisp, Scheme is often the first dialect they encounter. Alternatively, Racket is another popular choice, often recommended as a learning tool due to its modern features and extensive ecosystem. The emergence of Guile, the official Scheme extension language of GNU, could potentially shift the landscape by offering a more comprehensive learning experience.

In conclusion, while Common Lisp remains the most established and widely used dialect, Clojure’s growing community and modern features make it increasingly relevant. For historical and cumulative popularity, Common Lisp still holds a strong position, while Emacs Lisp stands out for its extensive running instances. Understanding these nuances can help guide developers in choosing the right Lisp dialect for their specific needs.