Re: [Axiom-mail] Status

[Bill Page]

Tim,

On 2002/10/31 Thu PM 11:23:33 EST you wrote:
> 
> Actually, I have no estimate. The key to the game is to
> get the lisp running as this is the only part of the
> system that is new to me.  Axiom used to be hosted on
> AKCL, now GCL, and Camm and I have discussed rehosting
> it there. I expect it to run on both as they each have
> advantages. In any case, though, the game is to get it
> to run anywhere and I'm working on that at the moment.
> There really isn't any point to posting the sources as
> the build process is very complex and not documented (as
> yet. it will be). I've built the first version of the
> lisp and now am working on building the "image" file.
> Unfortunately there isn't any obvious way to share this
> task.

What is Camm? You mentions Codemist Lisp earlier. If I
remember installing REDUCE correctly, after the initial
installation there was a step involving creating
(compiling?) an image file that is loaded when Lisp starts
up. Is that what you are creating for AXIOM?

What operating system are you using? What platform should
I set up for this work? Linux? Any particular flavor?
(I'm a RedHat kind of Linux person.)

> 
> The new system build uses noweb (search for noweb Ramsey
> in google) which is a tool to support literate
> programming. If Axiom has any chance to survive it has
> got to be documented so anyone who is willing to put out
> the effort can learn how to build, modify and maintain
> it. I suggest you look at noweb and I can send you an
> example file or two to bring you up to speed on how I'm
> using it.

Ok, I'll do that. I agree about the need for documentation
and a structured approach. Literate programming to me means
writing code in manner intended specifically to make it
easy to read. I am not so sure that is so easy or even
possible in older languages like Lisp <grin> but I am
willing to give it a try. 

> 
> Once the lisp build works locally I can upload the lisp
> portion of the system, you can try to build it, and we
> can work on correcting the problems with the build.
> 

Ok.

> What is your background? Programmer? Mathematician?
> What area of Axiom strikes your interest?
> 

Programmer, physicist, mathematician in order of decreasing
expertise. See previous email.

What is of most interest to me in Axiom is the programming
language. But I want it embedded in a user interface that
is somewhat more powerful than emacs. I am quite strongly
motivated to develop code for symbolic manipulation of
tensors (as in general relativity and differential
geometry). I am also interested in applied (physics)
mathematical research in Clifford algebra and in category
theory.

Regards,
Bill Page.