>Does that mean that Java is not suitable for your program because it
>does not
>have a "math engine"? What functionality do you need? The term "math
>engine"
>could be almost anything!
No, Java IS suitable for my goals because there is a lot of open
source packages for implementing the user interface, access to data
(the POI package, for instance) and things like this.
The reason, why I want to use Maxima is the following:
Currently, I am testing and developing algorithms in Maxima prior to
implementing them in Java. So, I think that I can save time, if I am
able to reuse my Maxima scripts in Java. That means, I want to avoid
writing code, which does the same things as the code I already wrote
for Maxima.
The less code, the less bugs.
Further, if I outsource all my calculations to Maxima, the user will
be able to figure out, what my program does. He will simply have to
read the Maxima script, which I generate in Java.
Of course, I could use one of the Java math packages (like JSci), but
then the user won't be able to understand what the program does
himself (unless he/she is a developer).
By using Maxima, I am buying transparency of the software for free.
>Why are you using Java?
Because it's the language I like most.
>Code re-use is a very popular theme in software engineering. It doesn't work
>too well if the code you are trying to re-use was not written to be
>re-used, or
>not even debugged.
Most of the software systems weren't written to be re-used.
>>Has anybody attempted to connect Maxima and Java? If so, what were the
>>biggest challenges?
>>
>All you need is a linkage between lisp and Java.. see, for example.
>
>http://www.franz.com/support/documentation/6.2/doc/jlinker.htm
>
>The link between lisp and maxima is simple. For example, to invoke the
>maxima
>function "foo" you can call (in lisp) the function $foo.
I'll look at it. Thanks!
dap