[Axiom-developer] Literate programming and Provisos

[daly]

Eh? I sent you the reference to the book so that you could see an
example of what I consider modern literate programming practice that
has been published as a textbook. Stephen is writing a new parser and
possibly a new compiler. I wanted to motivate him to consider using
literate documentation in the style of this excellent book.



The discussion of provisos has ALWAYS been an algebraic discussion
and always related to spad-level programming. I'd like to have a 
proviso domain (or extend the SUCHTHAT domain) so we could form a
continuation/future/closure over all or a portion of a computation
and later evaluate it. I don't believe I mentioned lisp in that
discussion anywhere. Perhaps I should have changed the Subject line.
Clearly such a control mechanism would have to be supported by an
underlying Lisp mechanism but that, as you say, is an implementation
detail. 

I'm not sure how Generators is related to provisos.




For other examples where we might draw inspiration for forms of
programs that have been published in books see:
"Compiler Design in C" which is the complete C compiler source
"Operating Systems Design and Implementation" containing an opsys
"Lions Commentary on Unix" containing the AT&T Unix source
"Linux Core Kernels" containing the Linux kernel source
"Linux IP Stacks" containing the Linux networking source
"TeX: The Program" containing the TeX source code.
All of these mingle complete source code with text albeit not in
an electronic form. It would be trivial to make them literate in
electronic form.

I found "Lisp in Small Pieces" to be the best written of the examples
I reviewed. I think it is worth staring at to consider why it reads
so well. It covers a multitude of deep issues in very clear terms.
And it contains ALL of the source code with a careful explanation of
every little detail. 

Literate Programming can be done. It can be done clearly and simply.
We're way behind the curve. "Lisp in Small Pieces" is from the 1996.  I
taught my compiler course at Vassar using the "Compiler Design in C"
book way back in the 90s, as well as "Anatomy of Lisp" which is
another excellent book worth reviewing.

Tim