Re: Computer Algebra Algorithms lisp vs. C.


>>I mean that you can use the same programming language
>>for CAS algorithms than for what is called kernel programming
>>in many CAS.
>
>
> You can, but your code will be orders of magnitude bigger, slower, harder to
> use, less maintainable and less future proof. More importantly, the
> resulting code will be dependent upon the underlying data structures.
>

I disagree again. There are much more chances that code written
in a non-standard language like maple language might not work
with a future release of Maple than C++ (or Lisp, or any
standard language) code. Moreover, people using standard
language tend to use powerful development environment not
available in non-standard language, there are more chances
that they comment their code appropriately.

>
>>>If you have a free compiler/interpreter then writing programs in a
>>>different language does not make them inaccessible. Indeed, it makes them
>>>more accessible.
>>
>>No, because you can not use them easily inside another program.
>
>
> Just supply the external program with a string.
>

That means parsing and printing each time you want to call a CAS function which is fairly inefficient. Imagine you do that with
multivariate polynomials which tend to print to 1Mb size of text
even with a few variables.

>
>>He chooses C++ as implementation language because that is the
>>natural choice given the non-CAS components.
>
>
> Most people would not choose C++, of course.
>

If you are implementing a GUI, there are great chances that you will
use C++.

>
>>If he has access
>>to a C++ CAS library, it is much more accessible for him than
>>if he has to exchange data from C++ types to the "host language".
>
>
> In the general case (most external programs, most external languages) users
> will not want to interface to template C++ code.
>

I was speaking of someone writing a C++ program.
>
>>The host language is for me mainly a scripting language.
>
>
> I don't think that statement means anything.
>

I think it is clear for everyone administring a Unix station.
You do not expect the same thing from a scripting language
than from a language like C.

>
>>>So you're saying that the advantage of C++ is that it is the "standard
>>>language"?
>>
>>Not *the* standard language, but *a* standard language.
>>Unlike maple language which is only used by maple, mupad language
>>by mupad, mathematica language by mathematica, etc.
>
>
> Yes, exactly. C++ is one of many standard languages. So there is no standard
> language, so there is no point in arbitrarily choosing C++ and then calling
> it "standard". You might as well choose any language. In which case, choose
> the most appropriate language which, in this case, is definitely not C++.
>

You did not give any argument that support this claim. I claim that
there is no "most appropriate language", it will depend
on other factors and C++ is an appropriate language, I support my
claim by the existing C++ CAS libraries (e.g. my giac/xcas project).
Of course Lisp, Ocaml, etc. are certainly appropriate languages too,
there are CAS system written in Lisp, I don't know
of any Ocaml CAS system (I mean comparable to maxima, axiom or xcas),
maybe someone will develop one, we'll see...

OK, I think I've lost enough time on this thread, I will most probably
not convince people who are absolutely certain that C++ is not
a good language for CAS algorithms. I hope that people who know
C++ will just try C++ CAS libraries and make their opinion on
the code, not on unsupported claims.

Bye
.

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