[Aldor-l] Using Aldor or SPAD

[Bill Page]

On August 18, 2006 1:49 PM Martin Rubey wrote:
> 
> Gabriel Dos Reis writes:
> 
> > I've been writing more and more SPAD, less and less Aldor. 
> > And I suspect very soon my students will more SPAD than 
> > Aldor, however imperfect SPAD...
> 
> why is that? I really can't understand, there are so many 
> things missing in spad!
> 

Ya, like error message a human can understand, for one! :)
I think SPAD is nearly impossible to learn because the results
of compiling incorrect programs are so difficult to interpret.
I usually write something in Aldor first to get the syntax and
types correct and then (if necessary) back port it to SPAD.

On the other hand (with a few notable exceptions like fully
implemented dependent types), the SPAD *language* is not
fundamentally very different than Aldor. SPAD is a productive
language - after all 1,300 packages domains and categories
are currently implemented in this language.

Then, of course there is the long unresolved issue of the lack
of a clear open source license for Aldor. I fear that if this
not resolved in the next few **weeks**, then the consequences
for both Aldor and Axiom could be very negative. All the rhetoric
of having to get people who already agree to agree aside, I just
do not understand why aldor.org would have neglected this for
so long. :(

Regards,
Bill Page.