[Simulchaord-discuss] Swarm size

[Paul Fernhout]

I downloaded EVO (236K) but knew it required Swarm. A couple of examples
in a minilanguage (bugs and food, foxes and rabbits). Yet another
language to learn. :-( Perhaps these examples can be redone in Python?

OK, I've been downloading Swarm for over half an hour. Looks like
another 3.5 hours to go to get all of 51289K. Open Office providing a
complete set of applications for word processing, drawing, spreadsheets,
etc. was 50017K, so smaller (I was wrong in a previous post when I said
it was 40MB). Why is Swarm so big? (And this is just the binary?)

Squeak can in various configurations pack an entire Smalltalk
development environment plus ALife-like simulations into a few
megabytes... Although Squeak trumps everyone in this respect.

I think one issue having started to look at Evo is the recreation of
mini-languages. 

I can see a real advantage to using Python as the language to program
agents in. (Lisp would also be good [probably better] for easy
evolvability of agent code.)

If a system is based on a dynamic language like Python (or an open
Smalltalk or Lisp) then one can use the language itself as part of the
simulation platform.

Swarm does seem to be a recognized leader (conferences) etc. Curious
what all the fuss and size is about....

One issue with using Swarm may be that simulation users might have to
download 50MB as well? (Obviously on faster links that may not matter
but it is an issue.)
 
-Paul Fernhout
Kurtz-Fernhout Software 
=========================================================
Developers of custom software and educational simulations
Creators of the Garden with Insight(TM) garden simulator
http://www.kurtz-fernhout.com