Lush uses a very simple Lisp syntax. If the word "Lisp" sends shivers down your spine, be advised that the dialect of Lisp that Lush implements is extremely simple to learn, with possibly one the simplest syntaxes around. Most scientists, engineers, and software developers who have learned Lush have become proficient at it in a few days, even if they had no prior exposure to Lisp. It's very simple. Really. In fact, Lush has been used to teach programming to kids.
The Lush compiler has several interesting properties, and a few limitations. Its main advantage is that it generates very efficient C code which is then compiled with the best available C compiler for the machine considered and loaded dynamically. The C code produced does not simulate a virtual machine, it is real, low-level, bang-the-metal, no-runtime-check, don't-break-for-animals, C code, just like what you would write by hand. Its main disadvantage is that, although it compiles a Lisp-like language, it does no more for you than what a C compiler would (no automagic memory management, no garbage collection, no functional programming).
Last modified 24 August 2021