Oz Language Specification

[bobcalco at tampabay.rr.com]

Hi Peter (and everyone else):

Yes I have the CTP book and am aware of those resources. I was wondering
if anything less theoretically slanted and more styled as a "guide for
implementers" a la more traditional specs have been created. I didn't
think so but thought it was worth asking anyway.

I have "been away" from Oz for awhile but have renewed interest because
I really believe the kinds of things Oz can do are rather futuristic,
albeit Oz has been doing them for some time now, and both the CLR and
the JVM are moving in the multi-paradigm direction. 

My goal is this: I want to play a role in making Oz's concepts relevant
at least to .NET, and I actually see a big opportunity for that given
the latest developments in the CLR. 

I don't mean that I'm not also interested in working on and in Oz
proper, but I see a better opportunity for recognition of the language's
contribution if its concepts can be proven on the CLR (or, for that
matter, the JVM). I've been studying the DLR and paying close attention
to the direction of C# and VB in Orcas and I can imagine how Oz's
semantics might be added to the CLR, considering how functional
programming has been added to both languages and other technologies like
LINQ and the DLR (which is open source btw) have been added as well.

I've talked about these things in the past, and while I haven't (yet)
gotten any of them done (details, details), and made a few retreats into
commodity programming for pragmatic considerations (like paying bills,
putting my daughter through college, etc.), I don't give up easily on my
obsessions and one of these days will eventually achieve something for
the cause after all this time! 

Or I hope so anyway. I appreciate your patience and indulgence once again...

Sincerely,

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Van Roy <pvr at info.ucl.ac.be>
Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 10:11 am
Subject: Re: Oz Language Specification
To: Mozart hackers <hackers at mozart-oz.org>

> Torsten Anders wrote:
> > On Wednesday 23 May 2007 13:29:55 Bob Calco wrote:
> >   
> >> create the formal language specification
> >>     
> >
> > You may want to look at the appendix of CTM.
> >
> > Best,
> > Torsten
> >
> >   
> You mean chapter 13, which gives a formal semantics for the
> complete Oz kernel language.  To this has to be added the
> semantics for the library operations (appendix B, which talks
> about the Base modules), the constraint operations (spaces, in
> chapter 12), and the distribution subsystem (thesis of Raphael
> Collet, which should be out this year together with the new
> DSS).  Together, this forms a simple core semantics.  It's
> factored: if you don't want constraints or distribution, then you
> can just leave out those parts.  The kernel language of chapter 13
> is the real heart that should always be kept.
> 
> The System module semantics extends this a lot because it
> touches on many external abilities (e.g., operating system,
> compiler, etc.).  This semantics should be kept separate from
> the core.
> 
> Peter
> 
> 
>
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