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

At 12:43 PM +0000 1/15/11, Brian McMahon wrote:
>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.

If we are trying to be Python friendly and much of dREL is derived
from a Jython implementation, I don't understand why we are not
conforming dREL, DDLm and CIF2 to Python conventions as closely as
possible.







At 12:43 PM +0000 1/15/11, Brian McMahon wrote:
>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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>ddlm-group@iucr.org
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    Dowling College, Kramer Science Center, KSC 121
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                  yaya@dowling.edu
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