Lambda the Ultimate

The PLT Scheme folks now have a project blog.

In recent years, there have been numerous proposals that introduce time into standard relational systems. Unfortunately, most of the attempts have been based on ad-hoc extensions of existing database systems and query languages, e.g., TQUEL and TSQL. Such extensions often create many problems, when precise semantics needs to be developed, if one exists at all. In a recent survey by J. Chomicki, a clean way of defining temporal databases based on logic was proposed. This methodology views temporal databases as multi-sorted, finitely representable first-order structures. Query languages then became formulas in suitable logics over the vocabulary of such structures.

Raph Levien has posted an article The browser wars are once again upon us a few days ago to advogato, covering the current state of the landscape for client-side web programming, and ends by saying In any case, one thing seems clear, if surprising: the language of the future is JavaScript.

(via Wadler)

A visual LC game.

You can show it to the kids, or try to guess what each element in the game represents before reading the explanation at the end...

Looks like Chris Oliver's F3 has become openjfx, as of JavaOne. I'm slightly perturbed by Harold's casual dismissal of it...openjfx is integrating a dependency management system into the core of the language, and my gut is that it will be quite effective for the UI tasks it's targeted at. We really do need new thinking here, and new languages/syntax for it.

Lots to explore here, including a netbeans plugin.

So the question is...how effective is this UI-oriented DSL going to be? Is it more productive? Easier to use? And how can we quantify that?

RJ

(note: I guess I should add that Harold is rather famously stodgy when it comes to language change, and apparently even alternatives ;)

(notenote: I think F3 was a better name. Binding this language and technology to the Java brand on the desktop is a mistake. All that does is create confusion about what it is.)

Those of you who apply advanced PL ideas to operating systems might be interested in the upcoming PLOS 2007 workshop. See the abbreviated CFP below, and please consider submitting a short paper!

Thanks! ---

Eric.

Historically, operating system development and programming language development went hand-in-hand. Today, although the systems community at large retains an iron grip on C, many people continue to explore novel approaches to OS construction based on new programming language ideas. This workshop will bring together researchers and developers from the programming language and operating system domains to discuss recent work at the intersection of these fields. It will be a platform for discussing new visions, challenges, experiences, problems, and solutions arising from the application of advanced programming and software engineering concepts to operating systems construction, and vice versa.

Please visit the Web site for more info: http://plosworkshop.org/2007/