Things to do before GUI-developers can start their work

>>>>> "CY" == C Y <smustudent1@yahoo.com> writes:

    CY> --- Raymond Toy <toy@rtp.ericsson.se> wrote:
    >> 
    >> Neither do I.  There is no standardized socket interface so you'll
    >> either have to get some socket library that runs on the supported
    >> systems or make such a socket library for maxima.

    CY> Ick.

But there are socket libraries out there already.  CLOCC has one.
There's db-sockets (?).  Don't know how complete they are.

    >> And CMUCL/SBCL only has threads on x86.  No threads anywhere else.

    CY> How hard is it to impliment threads?  Is it something we can hope to
    CY> see mature more within the next few years on the various lisps?  I
    CY> didn't realize it but they could be a critical piece of the puzzle.

Hard.  Maybe very hard.  Might be able to port CMUCLs x86 threads to
Solaris, which would make it easy for other platforms.  SBCL's threads
for other platforms will be hard since it uses Linux-specific stuff.

Can't say for other Lisps.  I think openmcl has threads.
 
    CY> The alternative I favor actually is Garnet, which is also native lisp
    CY> and very well done.  It has really excellent documentation as well,
    CY> which is always good.

Yes, forgot about Garnet, which I have used before.  McCLIM does have
an advantage because it was designed (I think) to handle the kinds of
presentation that maxima would like to use.  Plus, McCLIM is actively
developed now.  Garnet seems to be, uh, stagnant.

    CY> to.  The problem will be threads, because otherwise the interface will
    CY> have to wait for the execution of each math command before it can
    CY> accept any input.  I don't know why that didn't occur to me before.  I

This doesn't bother me because I'm not likely to continue computing
without seeing the output of the previous command.  Plotting, however,
could be a problem.  But I'm not likely to do anything until I see the
plot either.

Ray