Topic: Pronouncing AutoLISP

[Sdoman]

Just for geeky fun, how do you pronounce these AutoLisp function names when your reading code to yourself? 

cdr
cadr
lambda
logior
lsh
princ
progn
terpri

Here's what I've been using:

Cdr: I use to pronounce C-D-R, but a book I've been reading says that the correct pronunciation is Coulder.

Cadr: C-A-D-R or should that be Car-Coulder?

Lambda:  Lamb-duh?

Logior: Log-gee-or?

Lsh: I have no idea.  Never used this anyway but is an interesting pronunciation challenge.

Princ: Prince or Prin-Cee?

Progn: Prog-N or Prog-Nin?

Terpri: Terminal-Print?

[MP]

These are more the way I hear 'em in my head --

cdr    • could-rrr
cadr   • cad-rrr
lambda • bleet, bleet
logior • log-i-orrr
lsh    • left shift (true story)
princ  • prin-see
progn  • prog-n
terpri • ter-pri

[CADaver]

cdr    • C-D-R
cadr   • cad-rrr
lambda • lamb-duh
logior • log-Eyor (as in Pooh's donkey friend)
lsh    • lish (short I, rhymes with FISH)
princ  • prin-see ("See, there it prints".)
progn  • proggin' (rhymrs with noggin')
terpri • ter-print

[T.Willey]

I have to admit first that I don't read whole words most of the time, so I make up words for things.

cdr = c-d-r
cadr = cad-r
lambda = lam-ba-da (like the dance)
logior = log-i-or
lsh = lish (I guess I would use)
princ = prince
progn = pro-nog
terpri = tear-pre

[Kerry]

Same as MP except for the bleet, bleet .. lamb-dah

[CAB]

cdr = c-d-r
cadr = c-a-d-r
lambda = lamb-dah
logior = logical-or
lsh = logical-shift
princ = print-c
progn = pro-gen
terpri = tera-print

[Sdoman]

The functions CDR, CADR, CADDR, etc,  are the most awkward for me to read as a word.  That's why I just spell them out C-D-R, C-A-D-R.  I've never really been happy with that pronunciation however.  COULDER seems even more awkward to me. 

It finally dawned on me that LAMBDA is from the Greek alphabet.

Logical shift make sense

Print-see or Print-cee sounds good.  But I wonder what the "C" is for?  Where is Print-A and Print-B?

I guess the "N" in Progn confused me.  Group N lines?

Since programming languages are read often yet rarely spoken, it is interesting to see what pronunciation people use while reading to themselves.  Thanks for replies.

[Mark]

Great thread!

How about these?

atof  = a-t-o-f
getkword = get key word *yawn*
itoa = i-t-o-a

and don't even try the vl- and vlax- functions!

lambda • bleet, bleet

What the ...

[MP]

lambda • bleet, bleet

What the ...

[Sdoman]

Great thread!

How about these?

atof  = a-t-o-f
getkword = get key word *yawn*
itoa = i-t-o-a

atof  = perhaps it would have been more appropriate for the authors of AutoLISP to have named this function stor for string-to-real

itoa = likewise, itos for integer-to-string would have been better imo.

[LE]

atof  = perhaps it would have been more appropriate for the authors of AutoLISP to have named this function stor for string-to-real

itoa = likewise, itos for integer-to-string would have been better imo.

Maybe, maybe, something like this (note: before you use the code below, make sure you are using a test drawing): 

Code: [Select]

(pragma '((unprotect-assign stor)))
(setq stor atof)
(pragma '((protect-assign stor)))

(pragma '((unprotect-assign atof)))
(setq atof nil)

Then in the command line:

Command: (stor "3")
3.0

[Sdoman]

That's cool LE.  I wasn't aware of the unprotect-assign function.  As an example it's interesting.  Of course, if someone was to redefine native lisp functions, they would break any old code that expects those functions to exist. 

Pragma : Prag-Ma

[Bob Wahr]

atof  = perhaps it would have been more appropriate for the authors of AutoLISP to have named this function stor for string-to-real

itoa = likewise, itos for integer-to-string would have been better imo.

Does list use s for something other than string like maybe Single?

[LE]

That's cool LE.  I wasn't aware of the unprotect-assign function.  As an example it's interesting.  Of course, if someone was to redefine native lisp functions, they would break any old code that expects those functions to exist. 

Pragma : Prag-Ma

I never had tried.... but I would guess that if you saved your routine inside of a protected namespace VLX, it might work....

Actually by simple calling:

Code: [Select]

(pragma '((unprotect-assign stor)))
(setq stor atof)
(pragma '((protect-assign stor)))

And kept the built-in functions alone....

[Sdoman]

Does lisp use s for something other than string like maybe Single?

Bob: Not that I know of.  But then, I don't know it all

I never had tried.... but I would guess that if you saved your routine inside of a protected namespace VLX, it might work....

Good point Luis!
 

[zoltan]

itoa - Integer to Atom
atof - Atom to Float

(i think)

[jonesy]

Great thread!

How about these?

atof  = a-t-o-f
getkword = get key word *yawn*
itoa = i-t-o-a

atof = hat off
getkword= get keyword
itoa = iota

(not that I do any programming... I just look at other peoples to see if I can figure out what does what)

[Sdoman]

itoa - Integer to Atom
atof - Atom to Float

(i think)

Another variant:
atof - Ascii to Floating, meaning convert string to real (floating point) number

[Sdoman]

atof = hat off
getkword= get keyword
itoa = iota

(not that I do any programming... I just look at other peoples to see if I can figure out what does what)

Hat Off and Iota !  Thanks for the great humor Jonesy.

[daron]

Most of the previous one's I'd pronounce as others have stated, except:
princ = prink

[Lee Mac]

Just stumbled across this great thread and thought I'd add my own pronunciations for some common AutoLISP functions:

cdr        = C-D-R
cadr       = C-A-D-R
cdar       = C-D-A-R
etc.

atof       = a-tov
atoi       = A-toy
itoa       = I-T-O-A
rtos       = R-toz
distof     = diss-tov

defun      = D-fun
setq       = set-Q
mapcar     = map-car
lambda     = lamb-dah
logior     = log-I-or
progn      = prog-n

princ      = prink
prin1      = prin-one
terpri     = terr-pree
textscr    = text-screen

strcase    = string-case
strcat     = string-cat
strlen     = string-length
substr     = sub-string
wcmatch    = W-C-match

tblnext    = table-next
tblobjname = table-object-name
tblsearch  = table-search

vlax-*     = V-lax (as in relax)
vl-*       = V-L
vlr-       = V-L-R

Print-see or Print-cee sounds good.  But I wonder what the "C" is for?  Where is Print-A and Print-B?

Since princ is designed to output data that is 'intended to look good for people', I would guess that the 'c' stands for 'console', i.e. print to console?

I guess the "N" in Progn confused me.  Group N lines?

I believe progn is the n^th extension of the prog1 & prog2 functions found in Common LISP, to evaluate all n supplied expressions.

atof  = perhaps it would have been more appropriate for the authors of AutoLISP to have named this function stor for string-to-real

itoa = likewise, itos for integer-to-string would have been better imo.

As suggested by others, I understood atof to be a shortening of ASCII to float; similarly, itoa as integer to ASCII; however, for me, the inconsistency lies with the rtos & distof functions... by the same logic, I would have thought rtos (real to string) should be ftoa (float to ASCII), or that either distof (distance to float I presume?) or atof should instead be stor (string to real) as you've suggested.

Interesting thread