Re: Scheme as a standard extension language

[Oliver Laumann <net%TUB.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>]

If you are interested in using Scheme as a standard extension language,
you might want to look into the recently posted implementation of
Scheme named `Elk' (Extension Language Kit).

One purpose of the Elk project was to end the recent proliferation
of (often mutually incompatible) Lisp-like extension languages.
Instead of inventing and implementing yet another extension language,
we expect application programmers to link the Scheme interpreter into
their application in order to make it extensible and customizable.

We feel that Scheme is better suited as a general extension language
than other Lisp dialects:  it is sufficiently small to not dwarf the
application it serves and to be fully understood with acceptable
effort; it is orthogonal and well-defined.  In addition, Scheme has
been recognized to be mature enough for national and international
standardization (IEEE P1178, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG16).

The `Elk' Scheme interpreter can easily be extended by application-specific
new data types and primitive procedures.  Such extensions are typically
written in C or C++ and dynamically loaded into the running interpreter.

Regards,
--
Oliver Laumann              net@TUB.BITNET              net@tub.UUCP