LispOS and me

[Fare Rideau]

Dear LispOSers,

   I'm sure no one cares, but as for me, I'm still in the research of a
formal definition for a reflective system (third path, neither CL, nor SCM),
for which I'd later write a compiler; nothing short-term, sadly.

   The problem I'm trying to solve is:
"how can a system based on a high-level language consistently
allow efficient extensions/restrictions in the programming model
without hitting abstraction inversions".
   Sample considered changes in the programming model include
real-time response, parallel and distributed computations, persistence,
fault-tolerance, multiuser ressource-accounting, static typing, proofs,
(non)determinism handling, linearity, relative atomicity,
interoperability with both legacy and experimental systems,
version control, mobility, probabilistic security, dynamic upgradability, etc.
   According code annotations/extractions to adapt to semantic
extensions/restrictions must be as automatable/automated as possible;
programs and metaprograms (for, e.g. automation control) must stay
as declarative as possible.
   Current low-level C-based OS technology allows developers to tackle
these problems individually, albeit without consistency,
without any framework to unify independent efforts,
without high-level tools, without any system-enforced user-defined invariant.
We Lisp people like to boast about Lisp being great to experiment with new
programming models, but it seems that a LispOS with CL or Scheme
as lowest-level language wouldn't allow do make implementations
of such models that be more than toys, because of abstraction inversion.

   Most likely, most of you consider these as non-issues as for
your idea of LispOS. If not, I'd like to hear your opinion
(unless you think the others do not either, mailto:rideau@ens.fr).

== Faré -=- (FR) François-René Rideau -=- (VN) Уng-Vû Bân -=- rideau@ens.fr ==
Join a project for a free reflective computing system! | 6 rue Augustin Thierry
TUNES is a Useful, Not Expedient System.               | 75019 PARIS     FRANCE
http://www.eleves.ens.fr:8080/home/rideau/Tunes/ -=- Reflection&Cybernethics ==