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D - XL Language

reply Mark Evans <Mark_member pathlink.com> writes:
http://mozart-dev.sourceforge.net/
http://mozart-dev.sourceforge.net/xl_features.html
http://mozart-dev.sourceforge.net/cp.html
Mar 18 2003
parent reply Antti Sykari <jsykari gamma.hut.fi> writes:
 http://mozart-dev.sourceforge.net/
 http://mozart-dev.sourceforge.net/xl_features.html
 http://mozart-dev.sourceforge.net/cp.html


The guy behind XL has a brilliant parody of C++ in

http://home.earthlink.net/~descubes/C--

He was also involved with C++ standardisation, which shows.

-Antti
Mar 19 2003
parent Mark Evans <Mark_member pathlink.com> writes:
Even as they work on XL, they are also hacking away at C++ enhancements.  C++
was their 'second-tier alternative' for a multiparadigm language.


XL does the same thing as D, an evolution of C++.  They looked at all C++ had to
offer -- even with custom language extensions -- and decided on a new language,
which has seen several incarnations, the latest being XL.

A key to XL is the notion of language extension enabled by access to compiler
data structures.  XL wants to support not just existing paradigms, but future,
unforeseen paradigms too.  It is "the first language that mandates
user-extensible compilers."  There is a lot here for D to chew on, including
true generic types, reflection, function-based dynamic dispatch, etc.

B. Stroustroup shares similar feelings about multiparadigm programming, which he
considers to be the future (I concur with that much and is why I often mix
languages):
http://www.itworld.com/AppDev/710/lw-02-stroustrup/
http://technetcast.ddj.com/slides/SD2001eMPP.pdf

In light of Stroustroup's claim to believe in multiparadigm programming even
back in the 80s, it is sad that he hobbled us with C++, instead of creating a
clean new language that really supports it well.  And can be implemented by mere
mortals.

XL looks very interesting but I'm not clear on the development state of the
language yet.

Mark
Mar 19 2003