CFFI: Was ( Question on augmented_lagrangian_method)
Subject: CFFI: Was ( Question on augmented_lagrangian_method)
From: Robert Dodier
Date: Sun, 20 May 2007 09:06:36 -0600
On 5/20/07, Michel Van den Bergh <michel.vandenbergh at uhasselt.be> wrote:
> This is one of the most frustrating things in maxima. There are so
> many excellent free software libraries around but they are very
> difficult to use in maxima since GCL does not support a decent
> foreign function interface.
Aside from a foreign function interface, Maxima really needs
a library or package or namespace or module system (whatever
we want to call it). I spent some time a while ago trying to create
something like that; searching for "namespaces" in the mailing
list archive should find something about it.
> Personally I would simply drop support for GCL if the developers want to
> stay in their own little world and not support something **vital** like CFFI.
Well, if we want to drop GCL we'll need to find a replacement for
the Windows installer. I think we can seriously consider using SBCL
instead of GCL when SBCL is stable on Windows.
(I don't know how far away that is.) We can also consider using Clisp
for the Windows installer; it is already stable on Windows, but it is
much slower than GCL or SBCL.
I am pretty sure that the GCL developers would like to have CFFI.
It's just that the development team is very small, and they have a
lot of other work to do. GCL + CFFI would be a great project for
some outsider to take on ....
FWIW
Robert