When reading code in a new language, work in 2 steps Find the familiar Look for things you have coded in other languages Note, but do not obsess, on the unfamiliar Then focus on the unfamiliar. Example: http://unbox.org/wisp/var/timm/10/ai/share/pdf/code.pdf page 1,2 How to load files 21 to 76 page 3,4 How to read a file, line by line 98 (with-open file creates a stream) 102 (reads the next line) 103 (checks for end of file) How to fill in default params in a function call 101,102 (&optional) How to build a list, recursively 104,105 (cons) conditional 103 (when) 132 (unless) 139,140,141 (if) how to find length of a list 128 (length x) how to case on type 127 (defmethod) How to get the nth item out of a list 128 (nth) How to define a local variable 121 (let) : note that : (let (a b c d)... ) is the same as : (let ((a nil) (b nil) (c nil) (d nil) ...) : also : lets can be nested (line 133) How to to test for nil 103 How to test for zero 132 How to increment 133 (1+,) : also can be don with incf How to decrement 135 (decf) Run over all items in a hash table 134 (dohash) page 5,6 How to define structures 146,147 How to set defaults for slots 147 How to customize how structs are printed 146, 149..153 How to access struct slots 152, 152 How to print 151,153 (format) How to do disjunctions 156 (or) How to push to front of lisp 156 (push) How to call a function of a list of arguments 157 and 167(apply) How to set a variable 162 (setf, also can set slot contents) How to print an error message 168 How to comment a function 172 How to create a struct 173 (make-caution) How to override slot contents 173 How to repeat N times 174 (dotimes) How to define a test case 177 (deftest) How to compare integers 181 (=. see also eq, eql, equal, equalp,string-lessp) How to compare strings 182 (samep. ignores whitespace. defined 200,222 How to do a conditional 205 if How to return a value from a function 206, 207: make in the last value. note: the if trap How to generate a string 205 (format nil...) How to mention a symbol 209 #\Space 215 many examples How to check membership of a list 215 (member) How to remove items from a list 218 (remove-if)