RE: [Axiom-developer] Using ALLPROSE for SPAD programming

[Page, Bill]

On Monday, August 21, 2006 1:08 PM Martin Rubey wrote:
> 
> > I wrote:
> > > In fact, I think it's high time to switch to ALLPROSE. As 
> > > far as I know, the only bit missing is to make it talk to
> > > axiom instead of aldor, but that shouldn't be too difficult,
> > > Ralf?
> Bill Page wrote:
> > :) I have read the ALLPROSE documentation but it is not at 
> > all clear to me how this could be done. Perhaps you can
> > elaborate on this idea?
> ... 
> Result: Generating documentation doesn't seem to be very 
> difficult at all. The main obstacle is, that ALLPROSE expects
> a semicolon to end a definition. Thus, I cheated and wrote:
> 
> <<exports: testSPAD>>=
>       double: R -> R --;
> @
> 
> It seems that ALLPROSE also expects that the signature 
> appears on one line, Ralf? At least
> 
> <<exports: testSPAD>>=
>       double: R -> _
>                    R --;
> @
> 
> did not work.
> 
> The main principle obstacle however is pile syntax (sorry 
> Bill). It does not mix well with neither .pamphlet_s nor
> .nw_s:

(: No problem. :)

What is ".pamphlet_s nor .nw_s"?

> 
> Continuing with
> 
> <<exports: testSPAD>>=
>        triple: R -> R --;
> @
> 
> Will produce an error, of course. But I guess, we have to 
> live with that problem anyway.
> 

To deal with pile syntax maybe we could make use of the
SPAD to Aldor translation option built into Axiom that
you mentioned in another thread? Even if it is not perfect,
perhaps it is good enough to enable ALLPROSE to more easily
extract the necessary information?

> For compiling, we would have to change the extension .as to 
> .spad and change calls to aldor to axiom. This is beyond my
> knowledge of allprose though.

>From my point of view the objectives of using ALLPROSE are a
little different than the objectives satisfied by the Axiom
pamphlet files. As I understand it, one of the main points
is to be able to extract the comments embedded in the Aldor/SPAD
source code and typeset it along with other parts of the
documentation that are just LaTeX segments of the pamphlet
file. And also to create appropriate hyperlinks to this stuff.
Is that right? In that case, in the end will it be at least
a partial replacement for the hyperdoc browser?

I think we need to talk more about how this would work both
in a stand alone desktop environment and on the Axiom Wiki.

Regards,
Bill Page.