When comparing Common LISP: A Gentle Introduction to Symbolic Computation vs exercism.org, the Slant community recommends exercism.org for most people. In the question“What are the best resources to learn Common Lisp?” exercism.org is ranked 3rd while Common LISP: A Gentle Introduction to Symbolic Computation is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose exercism.org is:
Rather than merely test for code correctness, Exercism uses peer review to improve general programming techniques. Users are encouraged to comment on others' solutions, and refine their own based on feedback.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Available free online
This book is available online for free as a PDF.
Pro Concepts are clearly explained
This book will give the reader a solid understanding of programming fundamentals. All concepts are very well explained using diagrams, exercises (with answers provided), analogies and more.
Pro Human review and feedback
Rather than merely test for code correctness, Exercism uses peer review to improve general programming techniques. Users are encouraged to comment on others' solutions, and refine their own based on feedback.
Pro Practice with production tools
Unlike many code practice websites, Exercism requires the user to develop and test entirely offline, submitting only the finished code. This promotes familiarity with essential tools and workflow, not just the bare language.
Cons
Con Poor formatting in Kindle edition
Formatting of code examples in the Kindle version is lost, resulting in the code being extremely difficult to follow and read.
Con Custom commandline client
Exercism requires using a CLI utility to fetch and submit exercises. This is inconvenient compared to web-only alternatives, and poses an additional barrier to entry for some users.