Re: Comercial version of Swarm

[Marcus G. Daniels]

>>>>> "RL" == Rob Leclerc <Rob> writes:

RL> Are there any speculations as to what the dominante language
RL> for Swarm will be from here on in? 

To the extent that Swarm is oriented toward a programming language at
all (as opposed to graphical model design), the language would be Java.

While the new XPCOM layer for Swarm facilitates other languages. 
E.g. JavaScript and C++ work now, and there is now a Python layer available
from ActiveState, I should say the point of integrating Swarm with
XPCOM is not to get more languages.  The point is to make Swarm work
smoothly with a large, freely redistributable, cross-platform
application framework, namely Mozilla.

Now why would modelers want that?  Well, they wouldn't.  It's a means
to an end.  The end is to create an accessible model-building
application that helps modelers builds models without knowing much
about programming.  By "accessible" I mean free, easy-to-use, and
easy-to-get-running-anywhere.  Like a web browser..oh wait.. it _is_ a
web browser.

RL> If it is java would we expect to see a rewrite of the underlying
RL> code, or would that both be impractical due to speed limitations,
RL> ad well as due to the sheer amount of work to do a re-write of
RL> Swarm from Objective-C to Java?

Java support is implemented as a layer on top of the existing engine
because the Swarm community has a large investment in Objective C, and
we needed to support both.

I don't foresee a rewrite of the Swarm engine to target the same
interfaces.  No point in it, really.  It is possible that there could
be a new a radically different engine, though.  Or, more likely, a new
Swarm-compatible layer on top of another, mature scalable and composable
discrete event simulator.

                  ==================================
   Swarm-Support is for discussion of the technical details of the day
   to day usage of Swarm.  For list administration needs (esp.
   [un]subscribing), please send a message to <address@hidden>
   with "help" in the body of the message.