The Howdy Glossary

Interlisp is a family of programming languages and environments developed in the 1970s at Bolt, Beranek, and Newman (BBN) for creating and using Lisp programs. It emphasized user-friendliness and interactive development, incorporating features like incremental compilation, object-oriented programming capabilities with metafunctions, windows-based graphics systems, and advanced debugging tools to support iterative development. Initially popular in artificial intelligence research during the 1980s, Interlisp eventually gave way to other Lisp variants like Common Lisp.

Interlisp faced competition primarily from other Lisp programming language variants like Common Lisp. Common Lisp benefited from standardized specifications that facilitated interoperability between implementations and ensured a consistent foundation for developers. Additionally, Common Lisp garnered broader industry support due to standardization efforts which led to its increased adoption in various fields. In contrast, while Interlisp offered user-friendly features and advanced tools for interactive development, its lack of standardization and broader industry backing may have hindered its widespread acceptance compared to Common Lisp.

Interlisp was primarily intended for researchers, developers, and programmers working in fields such as artificial intelligence where Lisp programming was prevalent. Its user-friendly design with advanced debugging tools made it well-suited for individuals seeking a productive environment for creating and using Lisp programs. The language's emphasis on iteration through incremental compilation and object-oriented programming provided flexibility needed for complex projects demanding adaptability and efficiency in programming tasks.