Re: User interface, TeXmacs and Axiom (was: Re: [Axiom-developer] backups)

[Antoine Hersen]

Hello,

My experience is making a good UI is a lot of works( aka way more than you imagine), especially if you go out the basic widget. ( I had a 30 line long rent there ).

Before choosing a solution we should set goals and there relative importance. My try :

+ Attracting new user :
   - sexy look
   - toolbox
   - template

+ Productive Environment :
   - easy to write pages long code :
         - pretty print
         - indentation
         - source code management
   - Good integration with the debugger
   - A easy work flown( edit, compile, test)
   - An know script langange( scheme, python) 

+ Axiom specific
   - Ease the write of pamphlet( writing literate programs is a lot of added work, that does not benefit the writer that much, so we should make it easy as possible

The candidates :
+ Web based, Browser based : for Mozilla 
http://www.xulplanet.com/ maybe using MathML.
Personally I have mixed fealling,  it is very hip and I will like for the tools to mature( think about Java UI for exemple Map... )

+ TeXmacs, the screenshot does looks good.

+ My big favorite imaxima :
http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/imaxima/Site/Welcome.html

Why :
Emacs work everywhere, with extensive menu an icon it is not that scary.

We should be able to manage pamphlet in a elegant way. And think about everything that is already included, source code management, non various charset ....

And very powerful and well documented language elisp !!!!

+ Start from scratch ( using http://mcclim.cliki.net/index )

Other issue( I am sure it has been discussed before) :
  - Improved documentation browser aware of pamphlet
  - Improved plot 2D, 3D viewer.

Some of this issue are problems common to all open source CAS, common solution will have more hands working on it.

Regards,

Antoine Hersen

PS : About debugging it is mostly a language tools issue,