Re: About Interfacing Ada to other languages.

[Didier Utheza <ddutheza@bu.edu>]

You are right ed,
SWI-Prolog has a binding to java (of course) and C++. The source code is
avalaible for both and the manual is relatively extensive. There are also
two Prolog interpreters written in Ada linked at AdaPower, but the problem
is maintainability and completness (way above what I will be able to do
ever). SWI-Prolog is pretty much up to date, they do a very good job in
parallel to the GNU-Prolog.
Theres is a GUI-declarative library (XPCE) that is very easy to use (a
message is just a message). The handicap of Prolog has always been the
executable and interfacing with the world. And this is changing with Java
and C++ (again and always the C family).
Of course, Prolog induced the generation of new logical languages
(Mercury,...). But Prolog is still one of the easiest to learn and AWM can
be built from any type of procedural languages.
My only deception is the lack of documentation from Ada on the hosting of
other languages (besides FORTRAN, COBOL and c the classical trio). This
was a requirement since Ada83, it is one of the strength of Ada over
others, since it was included from the beginning in its conception. But it
will stay a matter for the specialists by lack of introducery material
specific to Ada.
To conclude this thread, I thank you again for your answers. I will see
what is possible from there with my capabilities (very small). It could be
interesting as a module for the AdaOS. I wonder what people in AI that had
to use Ada with LISP or Prolog think about that?
Sincerely,
				Didier Utheza.