Updated April 4, 2023
Difference Between Common Lisp vs Scheme
Common lisp vs Scheme is defined as the lisp is large language as compared to the scheme, we can say that many features are missing in the scheme as compared with a common lisp. The features like structures, array, packages, hash tables, OOPS features added in common lisp but we cannot see some of them feature in the scheme. The scheme will allow very little support of numbers and floating-point numbers but lisp supports the large numbers and floating-point numbers. Basically, the major issues of internal representation are not present in the common lisp but they will be present in the scheme.
Head to Head Comparison Between Common Lisp vs Scheme (Infographics)
Below are the top differences between Common Lisp vs Scheme.
Key Differences of Common Lisp vs Scheme
Below is the key difference between Common Lisp vs Scheme:
- As we know that common lisp supports the large language as compared to the scheme, and we can say that it’s a good feature of the common lisp.
- The scheme will allow us to implement the scheme using very small support of numbers, basically, it will accept only the numbers of floating-point. But we can say that common lisp will implement by using rational numbers, floating-point numbers. Also, a common lisp will support the complex rational numbers and floating-point numbers.
- We can say that in the scheme basically tails calls is optimized by the compiler, so additional space is not consumed. Iteration is the case of tail recursion in the scheme. We can count on the scheme compiler for converting tail calls into simple jumps.
- There is not any rule that exists for tail calls in common lisp, it will automatically do the tail calls by itself. It will be done less frequently as compared to the scheme in common lisp.
- As we know a major problem with the scheme does not exist in a common lisp. Scheme language is not the program’s internal representation.
- The syntax of the common lisp and scheme are as follows. To define the procedure in the scheme and common lisp we have using the below syntax.
Scheme –
(define (e l)
(n (reverse l) ) )
Common lisp –
(defun e (l)
(n (reverse l) ) )
- We can see there is minor difference between the syntax of the scheme and the common lisp. Other differences are as follows.
| Sr. No. | Scheme | Common Lisp |
| 1 | display | princ |
| 2 | null? | null |
| 3 | pair? | consp |
| 4 | zero? | zerop |
| 5 | number | numberp |
| 6 | equal? | equal |
| 7 | eqv? | eql |
| 8 | eq? | eq |
| 9 | set! | setq |
| 10 | #f | nil |
| 11 | #t | t |
| 12 | substring | subseq |
| 13 | foreach | mapc |
| 14 | map | mapcar |
| 15 | subset | subsetp |
| 16 | newline | terpri |
| 17 | write | prin1 |
| 18 | ‘() | ‘() or nil |
| 19 | vector-ref | aref |
- The above table shows the difference between the common lisp and scheme function. Stream is the dialect of a common lisp which was stresses simplicity and conceptual elegance.
- Basically, the scheme is used in computer science programming. Common lisp is used in real-world programming language because of its large library and utility functions.
- Common lisp is large as compared to the scheme because it contains a large library and some common extensions.
Comparison table of Common Lisp vs Scheme
The below table shows a comparison between scheme and common lisp which is as follows.
|
Sr. No. |
Common Lisp |
Scheme |
| 1 | Common lisp has more built-in procedures and macros. | The scheme has some built-in procedures. |
| 2 | Common lisp has a built-in type like multi-dimensional array available. | The scheme has not built-in type available like common lisp. |
| 3 | Common lisp has a standard facility to create new data types. | The scheme has not a standard facility to create new data types. |
| 4 | Common lisp has a standard package system. | As compared to the common lisp scheme have not had a standard package system. |
| 5 | It has a standard system like CLOS. | It does have not a standard system like CLOS. |
| 6 | It has a system to handle the standard exception. | As compared to common lisp it doesn’t have a system to handle the standard exception. |
| 7 | In common lisp, compiler macro is available to handle the user-defined optimizations. | In the scheme, there is not macro available as compare to the common lisp to handle the user-defined optimizations. |
| 8 | In a common lisp, we can see the list of symbol properties. | In the scheme, we cannot see any symbol property list as compared to the common lisp. |
| 9 | Common lisp has hash table properties available. | We cannot see any hash table property in the scheme. |
| 10 | Common lisp contains the special variables as well as scoped variables. | The scheme does not contain the variables like common lisp. |
| 11 | Common lisp is working on unwind-protect. | The scheme is working on-call with the current continuation. |
| 12 | Common lisp has very large language including the negative and positive effects. | The scheme has small language as compared to a common lisp. |
| 13 | Common lisp has a format function like C but as compare to C it’s more powerful. | The scheme does not have a C format function as compared to a common lisp. |
| 14 | It has a big library of streams, including the stream of strings. | It has a small stream library as compared to the common lisp. |
| 15 | Common lisp has compile function available, it will compile the source code dynamically to functions. | The scheme has a single namespace lisp function available. |
| 16 | It has a function available which compiles our source files and loads them into our program. | The scheme does not have any function available, which compiles the source file as compare to the common lisp. |
| 16 | Common lisp has a sequence library that manipulated the vector. | The scheme requires support from the tail call optimization. |
| 17 | Common lisp has built-in support for various types of declarations like extent, type, dynamic, etc. | The scheme has not built-in support on various types of declarations. |
| 18 | Common lisp has built-in support for read and writes the sequences using streams. | The stream will do not have built-in support for read and write the sequences using a common lisp. |
| 19 | Common lisp has built-in support on a list of common function parameters. | As compared to common lisp stream doesn’t have built-in support on the list of common function parameters. |
| 20 | Common lisp will allow the cdr and car on an empty list without giving any error. | The stream will issue an error while giving the car and cdr an empty list. |
| 21 | Common lisp will support multiple values. | The stream will also support multiple values. |
Conclusion
Common Lisp is a large programming language as compared to the scheme. The scheme is used in computer programming language whereas common lisp is used in a real-world programming language. The scheme supports very few numbers whereas a common lisp will support the complex floating-point numbers, arbitrary precision, and rational numbers.
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