I like Python. Its designer made good use of some of the best ideas from
other languages, unlike many scripting languages whose authors seem to have
had only one source of inspiration. If Python had real generators with
goal-directed evaluation, and cleaner IO, and didn't have indentation-based
syntax I might join you Michael. But really, it hasn't beaten Icon on
several key elements, despite having borrowed some ideas from Icon. But
please use whatever tools are best for you.
Within this community, everyone is welcome to their own opinion about what
language is best or what is needed in order to make Unicon more popular.
However, the main impacts in the Unicon community are made by those folks
who DO something to advance the language. Talking counts... when it leads to
oneself or others doing something. Although I maintain the help wanted list,
it is an open list and we are all ears as far as suggestions on things that
need doing. Besides doing things myself or hiring students to do work when
that solution fits, I have been astounded and grateful for the code
contributions of volunteers, and am happy to give technical support and
advice when folks can use it.
I like many of the comments in this thread and am responding to some of
them, not just to Michael. The "showing what the language can do" idea is
fundamental. The Unicon book tries hard to do that, but it is just a
beginning. The best way to show what the language can do is to open the code
contribution doors wider to whomever chooses to share things that they've
written in Unicon. The range of backgrounds and interests in this community
is remarkable. For my part, I shared much of the early stuff I did directly
in chapters of the Unicon book. Since then I've drafted a book on computer
games in Unicon (about half-written), and we've written a 3D multi-user
virtual environment in Unicon (which will need a book to tell its story, if
it ever gets finished). The main external customers have some pretty
awesome Unicon programs but they are not demo programs to be shared or used
for language marketing purposes. :-)
I am not sure how to best market Unicon, I am a CS professor not a marketer.
But I agree with the comment that we need a webmaster, among other volunteer
positions. I have been unable, apparently, to do my day job well and also
keep source code distributions, documentation, and website very up to date.
I continue to work on that, and may improve some. The kids are getting older
now and taking less of my time :-). I have also allowed students to help
some with code updates, but their main job is to do research, as is mine.
Research with Unicon originally was to drag Icon kicking and screaming into
the modern age of computing. I think we've been very busy doing that and not
doing promotion or community development. With the threads facility nearing
beta we are nearing another major leap forward, but unless you were into
updating source code and reading conference papers and asking questions, you
probably haven't been told much about the past few years' work on Unicon.
Sorry!
In any case, this response is not intended to finish the thread, please keep
the comments, questions, and calls-to-action coming.
Cheers,
Clint
On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 7:49 PM, Michael Glass <[email protected]> wrote:
> I am someone who started using Icon as my utility programming language
> about 25 years ago. But I
> have pretty much switched to Python. I have not created any new Unicon
> code in several years except
> for maintenance and some toy codes just for fun and practice.
>
> And I love Icon/Unicon. But Python seems to have passed it by, both in
> terms of convenient language
> capabilities and available library packages.
>
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