-*- mode: org -*-

* When to use which programming language / library
** Utilities
- bash (moving / renaming files, etc.)
- Python, Racket/Scheme / (C)Lisp, Tcl/Tk (more complex / networked utilities)
- Emacs Lisp / awk (text processing)
** GUI Applications
- Julia (Gtk)
- Common Lisp (LTk / Gtk wrap (cl-cffi-gtk) / CLIM)
- Racket
- Clojure (Swing)
- Factor (ui vocab)
- Python (Tk / Gtk)
- SmallTalk
- C++ (Qt)
- C (Gtk)
** Graphical Applications
- Common Lisp (cl-opengl / cl-sdl / LTK (slow))
- Julia
- Racket
- Clojure (Java libraries)
- Factor (opengl and other vocabs)
- Python (pygame)
- SmallTalk
- C++ (OpenGL / SDL)
- C (OpenGL / SDL)
** Embedded Scripting
- Scheme (Guile / Chibi Scheme)
- Common Lisp (ECL)
- Forth (pForth)
** Dynamic Web Application
- Common Lisp (hunchentoot/parenscript)
- Clojure (compojure)
- PicoLisp
- Factor (furnace)
- JavaScript
** Microcontroller / Device Driver (e.g. AVR boards)
- Forth
- MicroScheme
- Hedgehog Lisp
** Mathematical Computations
- Julia
- PARI/GP (number theory)
- Octave (numerical analysis)
- Maxima / Mathematica (both)
- J (for small, efficient and obfuscated code)
** Relational Databases
- Common Lisp (CLSQL)
- Racket
- Haskell (HDBC)
- PicoLisp
** Concurrent Programming
- Rust
- Clojure
- Erlang
** Speed-sensitive Applications
- Rust
- C / C++
* Which compiler / interpreter to use
** C / C++
- gcc / g++
- clang
** Common Lisp
- sbcl
- ccl (better in OS X integration)
- ecl (embedding / small executable generation)
- clisp (scripts, fast bignums)
** Forth
- gforth
- pforth (embedded scripting)
- retroforth (non-standard)
** Haskell
- ghc
** ML
- smlnj
- mlton
** Prolog
- SWI Prolog
** Scheme
- Racket (simple GUI building; lots of packages; nice docs)
- Guile (simple embedded scripting, nice docs) [slow]
- Gambit (fast; simple FFI) [few packages/SRFIs]
- Gauche (fast startup; good for shell scripting)
- Chicken (lots of packages, FFI, embedding) [slow]
- Chez (fast; nice docs) [few packages - but see https://akkuscm.org/]
- Chibi (for smaller/simpler embedded projects & embedding under Windows) [very slow & unsafe]
*** Speed
- gambit/chez/larceny > racket >> guile/chicken/mit >> gauche/chibi
- based on https://ecraven.github.io/r7rs-benchmarks/
** SmallTalk
- Pharo
- ST/X