In Programming Languages
In discussion of the Lisp programming language the term big ball of mud is used differently, in this case to describe the malleability of a Lisp system. In Lisp, it is generally possible to:
- Easily write macros that give you control over the language syntax, so that the notation looks closer to the problem's domain
- Use a data-directed programming style
- Execute parts of a program at compile time rather than runtime
- Save a system image of a modified Lisp implementation for future use
The programming language Forth has also been described as a ball of mud because it too has many of these properties.
Joel Moses may have coined the phrase in the 1970s:
- "APL is like a beautiful diamond - flawless, beautifully symmetrical. But you can't add anything to it. If you try to glue on another diamond, you don't get a bigger diamond. Lisp is like a ball of mud. Add more and it's still a ball of mud - it still looks like Lisp."
Joel Moses strongly denies saying this, claiming he instead called Lisp a bean bag because it always returns to its original shape.
Read more about this topic: Big Ball Of Mud
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