LISP Clarification

In my last post, I mentioned that I've been learning how to work with binary data and bit streams in LISP and that many languages including ColdFusion abstract this low level of functionality for developers.

I received an email from a reader asking why I'm learning a language like LISP if it doesn't make things easier by abstracting low level implementation details. In re-reading my entry, I can see how a reader might perceive this. For clarification, LISP does indeed have many functions and features that abstract low level details - including for doing things like reading and writing files in the file system. LISP, and many other languages, also still expose that low level functionality if a developer wants to have at it. I've never had to read and write text files bit by bit, and in most languages you would never have to (such is the case with ColdFusion) - but understanding how to do so is an interesting learning exercise. I was learning how to do this in LISP for fun.