Notes from Strange Loop 2015: Day Two

Pixie

  • lisp
  • own vm
  • compiled using RPython tool chain
  • RPython - reduced python
    • used in PyPy project
    • has own tracing JIT
  • runs on os x, linux, ARM (!)
  • very similar to clojure, but deviates from it where he wanted to for performance reasons
  • has continuations, called stacklets
  • has an open-ended object system; deftype, etc
  • also wanted good foreign function interface (FFI) for calling C functions
  • wants to be able to do :import Math.h :refer cosine
  • ended up writing template that can be called recursively to define everything you want to import
  • writes C file using template that has everything you need and then compiles it and then uses return values with the type info, etc
  • you can actually call python from pixie, as well (if you want)
  • not ready for production yet, but a fun project and PRs welcome

History of Programming Languages for 2 Voices

  • David Nolen and Michael Bernstein
  • a programming language "mixtape"
Big Bang: The World, The Universe, and The Network in the Programming Language
  • Matthias Felleisen
  • worst thought you can have: your kids are in middle school
  • word problems in math are not interesting, they're boring
  • can use image placement and substitution to create animations out of word problems
  • mistake to teach children programming per se. they should use programming to help their math, and math to help their programming. but no programming on its own
  • longitudinal study: understanding a function, even if you don't do any other programming ever, means a higher income as an adult
  • can design curriculum taking kids from middle school (programming + math) to high school (scheme), college (design programs), to graduate work (folding network into the language)
Ron Toland @mindbat