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Re: [ddlm-group] Relationship asmong CIF2, STAR,CIF1 and Python. .

On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 05:35:21PM -0600, Bollinger, John C wrote:
> 
> (snip)
> 
> CIF2 <=> CIF1:
> To the greatest extent feasible, well-formed CIF1 documents should be
> well-formed CIF2 documents (modulo a CIF version identification
> signature) having the same meaning.

Agreed.

> CIF2 <=> STAR:
> Inasmuch as CIF1 is derived from STAR, I think it appropriate for CIF2
> to look first to STAR, including its post-CIF1 development, for new
> features it may need.  Even if CIF2 is not 100% compatible with STAR, it
> is worthwhile to avoid diverging without compelling reason.

Agreed

> CIF2 <=> Python:
> I see no particular reason for any formal relationship here beyond
> Python's role as the indirect inspiration for CIF2's new
> triple-quote syntax.  I am wary of the idea of tying CIF tightly to
> a particular language.  CIF2 documents are not and never will be
> Python programs.  I could imagine embedding Python in CIF or vise
> versa, but I have seen no evidence to suggest that greater similarity
> between the two languages' syntax and semantics would benefit efforts
> such as those.

Agreed. As I mention elsewhere, there is a greater influence on the
prototype dREL (arising from the initial Jython implementation), and
the list and table data types doubtless arise from that also.

It might be worth remarking (again) that dREL is being developed as a
canonical methods description language, and not necessarily the runtime
methods evaluator of choice for future applications. It may be that in
practice future methods are initially developed and most frequently
executed directly in Python or some other language. As I see it, the
goal of CIF and DDL evolution is not to exclude such a possibility.

Regards
Brian
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