# AutoLISP

13 Hacker News commenters recommended AutoLISP and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 33 years (7 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a fun, easy way to automate AutoCAD and a first step into programming; the most common caveat is that AutoCAD has neglected it.

## Why people recommend it

- Gateway into tech and programming (4 comments): "AutoLISP was the bridge that got me into tech as a profession over the geology field work I was doing." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46398162)) "It was the first truly useful software that I ever wrote" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46397441)) "Autolisp definitely sent me down the left-paren path." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47011146))
- Fun, easy way to automate AutoCAD (3 comments): "AutoLisp was both a pain and underrated. But, it was perfect for this sort of stuff." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46394208)) "It was useful and a lot of fun (aside from parenthesis nesting)." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47577764)) "It was just a fun and easy way to automate AutoCAD." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48948309))
- Right abstraction with just enough structure (2 comments): "AutoLISP was the right abstraction." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46394290)) "LISP had just enough structure." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46411692))

## What people warn about

- Neglected by AutoCAD, not updated (2 comments): "AutoCAD has severely neglected it, despite some large businesses built exclusively upon it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46395641)) "Autolisp wasn't updated to track Xlisp's capabilities" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49615280))
- Painful parenthesis nesting (2 comments): "AutoLisp was both a pain and underrated. But, it was perfect for this sort of stuff." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46394208)) "It was useful and a lot of fun (aside from parenthesis nesting)." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47577764))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Rust](https://hackerapproved.com/p/rust.md): 2039 recommend
- [Go](https://hackerapproved.com/p/go-programming-language.md): 1254 recommend
- [Python](https://hackerapproved.com/p/python.md): 1067 recommend
- [Zig](https://hackerapproved.com/p/zig.md): 743 recommend
- [TypeScript](https://hackerapproved.com/p/typescript.md): 574 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "AutoLISP", https://hackerapproved.com/p/autolisp/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).