1. I refuse to download any CVS stuff and I resist all suggestions
that I build versions of anything. I have better things to do with
my time than try to debug C code, makefiles, etc for which I have
no special expertise.
2. If you want me to help debug the macsyma code, I will do so starting
from something like "install.exe" on windows. Bill Schelter
had such an installation setup and I continue to use it more or less
satisfactorily. If there is a replacement for this which is in all
ways superior, please tell me and I will install it. I am running
Windows 2000.
3. I suspect that any real user would want the same, and more. Like
complete and accurate documentation, an uninstall script, etc.
4. regarding Martin's bug reports; I have not looked through them all,
and I suspect I am not receiving them now, but at least one of them
I responded to and said I didn't think it was a bug. I checked and
the semantics of f(x):=x::1 is the same as the common lisp
(defun f(x)(eval '(set 'x 1)))) .
I am not sure what semantics Martin wishes, but my guess is that
any use of the :: operator in Maxima is likely to be disappointing.
In 35 years I can't recall ever using it, though there may be
some occasion on which it was appropriate. The major question,
unresolved, is that when you evaluate x before assigning 1 to
it's value, WHERE do you evaluate x? What is the environment.
Macsyma semantics, and indeed all computer algebra systems'
semantics, are a little unusual with respect to evaluation of
symbols. Sometimes x stands for x, sometimes x stands for its
value. There are rules for different circumstances, but sometimes
you want to break the rules.
x:2
sum(2^x,x,0,infinity). do you want to evaluate x in the
expression 2^x? probably not.
y:2
sum(y^x,x,0,infinity); do you want to evaluate y ?
z:y^k
sum(z,k,0,infinity); do you wnat to evaluate z? yes.
RJF
Martin RUBEY wrote:
>>Regardless of the details, at the heart of this is an expression
>>of frustration that we should all take to heart.
>
>
> I do think so, too.
>
>
>>Instructions like "build x lisp only from CVS with version n of gcc
>>but not version m before you build version z of maxima" etc. makes
>>me think we are moving in a way that's getting a little out of hand.
>
>
>>It's ok for the core developers (perhaps),
>
>
> Well, maybe I was very lucky, but I found CVS VERY simple to use and had
> no troubles building GCL nor Maxima, on the other hand I do follow the
> list since quite some time now. (Still I'm certainly not a core
> developer...) Moreover, I'm not using xmaxima, and certainly not
> MSWindows.
>
>
>>Perhaps one of the problems is that we are miximg intro/devleopers/math/GUI
>>subjects into one mailing list: "Get x from CVS" should never appear on a
>>non-developer's list, IMHO, and when it does, the time has come to break up
>>the list.
>>
>>I suggest something like
>> maxima-announce
>> maxima-users
>> maxima-developers
>> maxima-cvs
>> maxima-ui
>>as a breakup of this list. It can be broken up into the sourceforge
>>mailing lists which are now gatewayed both directions into sourceforge
>>newsgroups. Newsgroups I find much easier to read.
>
>
> I did suggest something similar, but still more detailed (probably too
> detailed) some time ago.
>
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2001/001174.html
>
> I'm not sure yet whether I will move to Axiom, but for my time with
> Maxima I renew my offer to make a digest of the mail archive. (Provided
> that mail is more or less properly tagged) I find it VERY annoying, that
> sometimes I remember some issue discussed on the list and find my self
> spending quite some time before I find it again...
>
> Also I think that after release 5.9 we really should think about
> changes that might be worth some effort, but might not be compatible with
> earlier versions. I'm thinking especially of the scoping issue described
> in the following threads:
>
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001179.html
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001181.html
>
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001188.html
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001190.html
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001191.html
>
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001342.html
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001343.html
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001344.html
> http://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2002/001345.html
>
> In a different vein, I offer to translate the (french) documentation of
> sym, if there is no translation yet and if there is somebody interested...
> (I do speak a little french, so I won't do it for myself!) In any case,
> sym1.mac should be replaced by the following, because of the restructured
> share directory... (note that there are two different files permut.lisp,
> one in share/sym, another one in share/combinatorics)
>
> Most important however:
> Thanks for all the great work! I'm really really happy to be able to use a
> free cas by now!
>
> Martin
>
> /* Fichier sym1.mac
> Version 02 Mars 1999 sans autoload
>
> ; ***************************************************************
> ; * MODULE SYM *
> ; * MANIPULATIONS DE FONCTIONS SYMETRIQUES *
> ; * (version02: Commonlisp pour Maxima) *
> ; * *
> ; * ---------------------- *
> ; * Annick VALIBOUZE *
> ; * GDR MEDICIS *
> ; * (Mathe'matiques Effectives, De'veloppements Informatiques, *
> ; * Calculs et Ingenierie, Syste`mes) *
> ; * Laboratoire LIP6 (Equipe Calcul Formel) *
> ; * Universite' Paris 6, *
> ; * 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris cedex 05. *
> ; * e-mail : avb@sysal.ibp.fr *
> ; ***************************************************************
> */
>
> if ev(schur2comp)='schur2comp then schur2comp : pol;
> if ev(direct)='direct then direct : puissances;
> if ev(oper)='oper then oper : meval;
> if ev(kak)='kak then kak : 1;
> if ev(elem)='elem then elem : 1;
> if ev(pui)='pui then pui: 1;
> if ev(pui2ele)='pui2ele then pui2ele : girard;
> if ev(somrac)='somrac then somrac: puissances;
> if ev(resulsym)='resulsym then resulsym: 14;
>
> print(resolvante);
> if ev(resolvante)='resolvante then resolvante: generale;
> print(resolvante);
> if ev(directnew)='directnew then directnew: parallele ;
>
> print("");
> print("NOTE: To compile the system do");
> print(" cd ",chemin, ";make");
>
> load("sym/macros.lisp");
> load("sym/util.lisp");
> load("sym/lecteur.lisp");
> load("sym/ecrivain.lisp");
> load("sym/operations.lisp");
>
> load("sym/arite.lisp");
> load("sym/elem.lisp");
> load("sym/pui.lisp");
> load("sym/chbase.lisp");
> load("sym/schur.lisp");
> load("sym/direct.lisp");
> load("sym/kak.lisp");
> load("sym/partpol.lisp");
> load("sym/multmon.lisp");
> load("sym/permut.lisp");
> load("sym/treillis.lisp");
> load("sym/resolv1.lisp");
> batchload("sym/resolvante.mac");
>
>
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