Alex, Heow, Axiom is implemented mostly in Common Lisp. The original system had code which was in C (hyperdoc and graphics). It also had 2 layers of pre-lisp languages, Meta and Boot.
Meta was used to specify syntax. I rewrote that code and Meta is no longer part of the system, simplifying the build process. Boot is "syntactic sugar" on top of lisp. It is a "paren-less lisp" with indentation-based syntax like python. Boot is implemented in boot so there is a bootstrap step (hence the name). I am in the process of removing this pseudo-language as it: * unnecessarily complicates the build (bootstrap) * foils the use of lisp tools like macros * does not support structures, clos, and other machinery * perpetuates MACLISP and VMLisp historical semantics * is an obscure language with no known users In the near term (probably by the end of the year) Axiom will be all common lisp, except for hyperdoc and graphics. Hyperdoc and graphics are being reimplemented using a firefox front end and javascript. Most of the static content of hyperdoc is now in xhtml. The remaining effort involves writing ajax pages for dynamic help content and canvas-based graphics. Both are in-plan. So by Christmas 2010 Axiom will be a common lisp program with a firefox front end in javascript/xhtml/mathml in fully literate structure. Following that goal, Axiom needs to recover the numeric library capabilities. The NAG libraries are not free so they need to be replaced. I have been rewriting the BLAS, LAPACK, and GMP sources into literate form and will eventually add an additional numeric volume to the Axiom bookshelf. The time for a transition to literate programming is perfect from an historical perspective because we are beginning to see a trend toward open and free research literature. MIT, Harvard, NIH, and other agencies are beginning to understand that science needs to be free. This means that we can finally bring the research and the implementations back together in one document. If we can create fully literate documents that contain the research and the implementation then we can begin to think about "drag and drop" mathematics. You should be able to attend a talk where the speaker posts the URL for the paper. You should be able to drag that paper onto a running Axiom and have it "just work", including installing and using the documentation. Thus, while the talk is in progress you should be able to use the software to execute examples. See: http://daly.axiom-developer.org/doyen Tim _______________________________________________ Axiom-developer mailing list Axiom-developer@nongnu.org http://lists.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/axiom-developer