Tom Austin wrote:

> It isn't just the programming language, it's how you write in the 
> programming language.

It isn't just the language. It's the interpretter or compiler. It's the 
libraries. It's the runtime system (e.g., the garbage collector, the I/O 
subsystem, the concurrency implementation).

But yes, some languages make it more awkward to do things in certain 
ways, and easier to do things in certain other ways. Which may help or 
hinder performance. Also, the limitations of the language may make the 
compiler's job harder or easier.

> Simply changing the order you list your commands can make a big 
> difference in speed.
> 
> On some processors counting down to zero is faster than counting up to a 
> specific number.

If you're comparing JIT-compiled Java to purely interpretted Lisp, I 
guarantee you it makes no measurable difference. The overhead of 
everything else outweighs it manytimes over.

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