On 12 November 2010 18:18, rjf <fate...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On Nov 12, 8:46 am, "Dr. David Kirkby" <david.kir...@onetel.net>
>> I think you have a big bias against python and towards lisp. > > My view is that there has been excessive boosterism for Python, I agree with you there. > asserting that > it is the solution to some important issues in building a system that > is supposed > to displace Mathematica, Maple, Magma, (Maxima?). I don't think anyone believes it will displace those languages. > While Python may > have > some merit in some situations, the case being made for it for Sage is > weak, Given it's your opinion the case for Python is week, what would have been best as a user interface language for users? I can think of a few possibilities worth consideration myself. 1) Create an entirely new language. 2) Python 3) Maxima 4) A Mathematica like interface 5) A MATLAB like interface 6) A Maple-like interface 7) A Magma-like interface 8) Lisp 9) Q - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_%28equational_programming_language%29 10) Pure http://code.google.com/p/pure-lang/ is another possibility, but that did not exist until 2008, but is based on Q, which existed prior to Sage None seem perfect to me. Given the basic rationale of Sage is to "glue" various bits of code together, what in your opinion would have been the best language to glue them together? > which is why I find some bizarre enjoyment in tweaking people who make > these claims. You certainly get some enjoyment out of winding people up. I wish you would spend a bit more time contributing practical information though. You have helped me, and you have helped others too. You almost certainly know more about computer algebra systems than any Sage developer. A bit less time "tweaking people" and a bit more time "tweaking" the Sage source code would be nice! I'd also have a bit more respect for your opinions if you actually tried Sage. It would give you a chance to point out even more shortcomings, which I think you would enjoy. > Like so many people know it. (Why not use Java? or PHP?) > Like it is slow but that's OK, you can use Cython (or something else > that is not Python). > Like it runs everywhere (but if Guido does X, Y, or Z, we can't use > the new version) > Like it is my favorite language (of the one or two I know). > Like it has a natural math syntax (contradicted by almost all > examples). > > >>This comes out in a >> lot of what you say. I would think users of Mathematica consider they write >> in >> Mathematica, though the underlying code is probably C, C++, perhaps even >> Lisp in >> many cases. > > Everyone writes in binary, in underlying code. Yes, but using a hex editor and creating binary directly is not a very practical way of developing software. > More to the point, I think the big selling point of Mathematica > initially and maybe even now, > is presentation of graphics, plotting, etc. For which there are > actually much fancier > programs. But Wolfram (or whoever designed the graphics) made a nice > cut between > complexity and simplicity. Steven Wolfram is no fool. He is a winner of the MacArthur Fellowship (nicknamed the Genius Award) which is currently valued at $500,000 He is a very bright guy, and loves to let people know it. As you say, there are better plotting programs than Mathematica. I forget the one I used to use, but it was closed-source and very good. But Mathematica does a pretty decent job of it too. What Wolfram did well with Mathematica was to combine a wide range of maths tools into one product and to integrate them well. But unlike MATLAB, I'm not convinced Mathematica has wide use outside universities. Sure some companies use it, particularly in the financial sector, but I don't think there's much use of it in industry. I base that on my experience as a late 40's engineer/scientist who has worked in a number of commercial companies, along with results from job searches. > RJF Dave -- To post to this group, send an email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to sage-devel+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URL: http://www.sagemath.org
