Usenet 1994 October/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicoctober1994disk1.iso/answers/prolog/faq

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Newsgroups: comp.lang.prolog,news.answers,comp.answers
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From: [e-mail] (Jamie Andrews)
Subject: comp.lang.prolog Frequently Asked Questions
Message-ID: <prolog/[e-mail]>
Followup-To: comp.lang.prolog
Summary: Information about free Prolog implementations; contact names for commercial systems; controversial topics.
Supersedes: <prolog/[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Jamie Andrews)
Organization: Logic Programming Lab, Computer Science, Simon Fraser University
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1993 10:00:08 GMT
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: 12/04/93
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Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.lang.prolog:8943 news.answers:14759 comp.answers:2667

Posted-By: auto-faq script
Archive-name: prolog/faq

Original-by: [e-mail] (Jamie Andrews)
Version: 1.12
Last-modified: 7/15/93 by [e-mail] (Jamie Andrews)

     This article contains the answers to some Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) often seen in comp.lang.prolog.  It is posted
(twice a month, currently on the 1st and 16th) to help reduce
volume in this newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information
of general interest.

     This article includes answers to the following questions.

0. General information
1. What is the Association for Logic Programming?
2. Where can I get a public-domain, free Prolog for (the IBM PC,
   the Mac, Unix)?
3. What commercial systems are available?  What about systems
   available for a price from research institutions?
4. How do I get in touch with my Prolog's users' group,
   sales representative, or technical support line?
5. I think language X is better than Prolog.  What do you think?
6. My Prolog prof assigned me this problem.  Can you help
   me with it?
7. Can you suggest some books on Prolog?
8. Are there any FTP archive sites for comp.lang.prolog?
9. How can I get a copy of the draft ISO Prolog standard?
   Where can I go for more information about it?
10. How does the WAM (Warren Abstract Machine) work?  How do I
   write a WAM-based compiler or a WAM emulator?

     Please forward suggestions for further questions and
answers to the current FAQ maintainer, [e-mail] (Jamie
Andrews).

Changes in this version:
* Updated information for BinProlog.
* Updated information for Open Prolog.
* Updated information for ai.uga.edu site systems.
* Added information for Aquarius Prolog.
* Added information for XSB.
* Added information for TPM (the Transparent Prolog Machine).
* Added contact information for Expert Systems Ltd. / Prolog-2.
* Added information for Covington's summary of the Prolog standard.
* Added question 10.

            *    *    *

0. General information

     The newsgroup "comp.lang.prolog" discusses the language
Prolog and other "logic programming" languages.  Logic
programming languages, in general, are programming languages
which incorporate some of the language of mathematical logic;
unification and backtracking search are common operational
features.  For more background information about Prolog, see the
list of books in Question 7 of this list.

            *    *    *

1. What is the Association for Logic Programming?

     To keep up with the current state of logic programming
technology, readers can join the Association for Logic
Programming (ALP) and receive their Newsletter.  For details on
how to join, contact:

        Cheryl Anderson,
        ALP Administrative Secretary,
        Dept. of Computing,
        Imperial College,
        180 Queen's Gate,
        London, SW7 2BZ, UK

Email:   [e-mail]
Fax:    [phone]
Phone:  [phone] x5011

     The Prolog Resource Guide (v0.6) was printed in issue 5/1
of the Newsletter (Feb. 1992). This lists information concerning
Prolog Archives, Books, Suppliers, etc.  It is now maintained by
Mark Kantrowitz ([e-mail]), and
posted periodically to comp.lang.prolog (see question 3).

     To send in Newsletter contributions, write to:

        Andrew Davison,
        Dept. of Computer Science,
        University of Melbourne,
        Parkville,
        Melbourne, Victoria 3052,
        AUSTRALIA

Email:   [e-mail]
Fax:    [phone]
Phone:  [phone] / 5230
Telex:   AA 35185

            *    *    *

2. Where can I get a public-domain, free Prolog for (the IBM PC,
   the Mac, Unix)?

     The following are anonymous-FTP sites for free Prologs
which are either in the public domain or are "copy-lefted"
(permitted to be copied with some restrictions on commercial use).

     [Please see Mark Kantrowitz's monthly "Prolog Resource
Guide" posting (see question 3) for information about non-free
implementations.]

     (Please note that for extensive development work, users
will probably want a robust interpreter or compiler with good
debugging facilities and a standard syntax, among other things.
While public-domain systems are a valuable service to the
community, they do not necessarily have all these things, and
users should weigh carefully what they want to do against the
capabilities and costs of the available systems.)

For the IBM PC:
- BinProlog 1.71, anonymous FTP from clement.info.umoncton.ca
  (139.103.16.2), directory BinProlog.  Compiler for 386/486 machines.
  E-mail: [e-mail] (Paul Tarau).
- Anonymous FTP from aisun1.ai.uga.edu, directory ai.prolog;
  download "Contents" first.  ADA Prolog and ESL Prolog.
  E-mail: [e-mail] (Michael Covington).
- SWI Prolog, anonymous FTP from swi.psy.uva.nl (192.42.96.1),
  directory pub/SWI-Prolog; or from ftp.th-darmstadt.de
  (130.83.55.75), directory pub/programming/languages/prolog.
  Portable, copy-lefted.

For the Apple Macintosh:
- Anonymous FTP from aisun1.ai.uga.edu, directory ai.prolog;
  download "Contents" first.  Demo version of LPA MacProlog.
  E-mail: [e-mail] (Michael Covington).
- Open Prolog 1.0d40, anonymous FTP from grattan.cs.tcd.ie
  (134.226.32.15), directory pub/languages/open-prolog.  In
  SEA/binhex form.
  E-mail: [e-mail] (Michael Brady).
- UPMAIL Tricia Prolog, anonymous FTP from ftp.csd.uu.se
  (130.238.12.1), directory pub/Tricia; get README first.
  Email: [e-mail].
- TPM (the Transparent Prolog Machine), anonymous FTP from
  hcrl.open.ac.uk, directory /pub/software.  Demo LPA
  MacProlog with the TPM debugger built on top.

For Unix systems:
- BinProlog 1.39, anonymous FTP from clement.info.umoncton.ca
  (139.103.16.2), directory BinProlog.  Compiler for SPARC
  (SunOS 4.x + Solaris), SUN3, NEXT.
  E-mail: [e-mail] (Paul Tarau).
- SWI Prolog, anonymous FTP from swi.psy.uva.nl (192.42.96.1),
  directory pub/SWI-Prolog; or from ftp.th-darmstadt.de
  (130.83.55.75), directory pub/programming/languages/prolog.
  Portable, copy-lefted.
- SB-Prolog, anonymous FTP from cs.arizona.edu, directory
  "sbprolog/v3".  Version 3.  Copy-lefted.
- Modular SB-Prolog (= SB-Prolog version 3.1 plus modules),
  anonymous FTP from ftp.dcs.ed.ac.uk (129.215.160.5), file
  pub/dts/mod-prolog.tar.Z .  Interpreter for SPARC.
  E-mail: [e-mail] (Brian Paxton).
- ALF (Algebraic Logic Functional language), WAM-based language
  with narrowing/rewriting, anonymous FTP from ftp.germany.eu.net,
  directory "pub/programming/languages/LogicFunctional".
  E-mail: [e-mail] (Rudolf Opalla).
- CLP(R), available by e-mail request from Joxan Jaffar,
  "[e-mail]".  Constraint logic programming language,
  for academic and research purposes only.
- Aquarius Prolog 1.0, send message with body "get aquarius-info
  license" to [e-mail].  High performance,
  commercial functionality except debugging and modules.  For
  SPARC, DECstation, MIPS, HP 9000 series, Sun 3.  Copy-lefted.
- XSB, system with OLDT-resolution and HiLog capability.  Compiler
  for Linux, Sun, Sparc, and NeXT.  Anonymous FTP from
  cs.sunysb.edu (130.245.1.15), directory pub/XSB.
  E-mail: [e-mail]

            *    *    *

3. What commercial systems are available?  What about systems
   available for a price from research institutions?

     Many commercial systems are listed in the periodically
posted Prolog Resource Guide.  The Resource Guide also lists
many systems which are not exactly "commercial", but available
for a price from research instutitions.  The list of such
systems was originally compiled by Chris Moss, of Imperial
College.  The rest of the Resource Guide was originally compiled
by Dag Wahlberg, of Uppsala University.

     The Resource Guide is now maintained by the kind efforts
of Mark Kantrowitz, "[e-mail]", who
posts it ON THE 14TH OF EVERY MONTH on comp.lang.prolog.  It is
also available by anonymous FTP from "ftp.cs.cmu.edu" [128.2.206.173]
in the directory "/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/AI/", as the
file "prolog-resource-guide.text".

     Readers should also note that the newly formed Prolog
Vendors' Group is contactable electronically via the Secretary,
Al Roth.  His email is "[e-mail]".

            *    *    *

4. How do I get in touch with my Prolog's users' group,
   sales representative, or technical support line?

     Here are some e-mail addresses of these contacts, listed
alphabetically by company or major product name.  Please note
that sometimes phoning or writing to the company will get better
response than e-mail.

ALS (Applied Logic Systems):
  Information:    [e-mail]
  Sales:    [e-mail]
  Tech support:    [e-mail]

Amziod (Cogent Prolog):
  All:        [e-mail]

Expert Systems Ltd. (Prolog-2):
  Sales:    [e-mail]
  Support:    [e-mail]
  Users' group:    [e-mail]

LPA:
  Sales:    [e-mail]
  Tech support:    [e-mail]

PDC Prolog:
  Information:    [e-mail]
  Sales:    [e-mail]
  Tech support:    [e-mail]

ProLog by BIM:
  Contact:    [e-mail] (Kathleen Pierco)

Quintus:
  Users' group:    [e-mail]
  Sales:    [e-mail]
  Tech support:    [e-mail]

Sepia:
  User's group:    [e-mail]
  Information:    [e-mail]
  Tech support:    [e-mail]

SICStus:
  Users' group:    [e-mail]
  Sales:    [e-mail]
  Tech support:    [e-mail]

Turbo Prolog:
  Turbo Prolog is the older name for PDC Prolog (see above).

            *    *    *

5. I think language X is better than Prolog.  What do you think?

     These debates rarely result in any productive discussion.
To some extent, one's favourite language is based on irrational
ideology.

     However, many people now agree that different languages are
good for different things.  Prolog seems to be good for problems
in which logic is intimately involved, or whose solutions have a
succinct logical characterization.  Like other interactive,
symbolic languages, Prolog is also good for rapid prototyping.

     Also, please note that there are many different "Prologs"
and other logic programming languages available, all with
different capabilities.

            *    *    *

6. My Prolog prof assigned me this problem.  Can you help
   me with it?

     If your instructor assigned it to you, he or she probably
wanted you to do it yourself.  If it's an introductory Prolog
course, your question might be elementary to most readers, so it
might be a waste of network resources to ask it.  Please ask
your instructor, a friend, a teaching assistant, or a local
newsgroup for help first.

     That being said, there are comp.lang.prolog readers who
would be glad to help people making a legitimate attempt to
learn Prolog.

            *    *    *

7. Can you suggest some books on Prolog?

     The Prolog Resource Guide (see above, question 3) contains
a listing of Prolog books.  It is maintained by Mark Kantrowitz
([e-mail]), and posted periodically
on comp.lang.prolog.

     Here are some of the most popular books on Prolog.

_Programming in Prolog_.  William F. Clocksin and Christopher S.
Mellish.  Springer-Verlag, 1987.  (Introductory.)

_The Art of Prolog:  Advanced Programming Techniques_.  Leon
Sterling and Ehud Shapiro.  MIT Press, 1986.  (Advanced.)

_The Craft of Prolog_.  Richard A. O'Keefe.  MIT Press, 1990.
(Advanced.)

_Foundations of Logic Programming_.  John Lloyd.
Springer-Verlag, 1988 (2nd ed).  (Logic programming theory.)

            *    *    *

8. Are there any FTP archive sites for comp.lang.prolog?

     Yes.  As of the latest check, the following archive sites
contain selected recent articles from comp.lang.prolog in the
indicated directories.

"cs.dal.ca": /pub/comp.archives/comp.lang.prolog
"rtfm.mit.edu": /pub/usenet/comp.lang.prolog
"src.doc.ic.ac.uk": /usenet/comp.archives/auto/comp.lang.prolog
"cnam.cnam.fr": /pub/Archives/comp.archives/auto/comp.lang.prolog

     Some other sites contain copies of this FAQ list and the
Prolog Resource Guide (see question 3).  For users with "archie"
access, type "archie comp.lang.prolog" for an up-to-date list of
sites having either archives or the periodic postings.

            *    *    *

9. How can I get a copy of the draft ISO Prolog standard?
   Where can I go for more information about it?

     You can pick up a copy by anonymous FTP from site
"ai.uga.edu", directory "ai.prolog.standard".  The directory
also contains a summary of the standard, by Michael Covington,
in the "isoprolog" files.  Note that no one at that site can
answer any questions about the standard; it is just an FTP site
for the standard in the USA.

     For more information about the ISO Prolog standard, contact

Roger Scowen
ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22 WG17 (Prolog) convener,
DITC/93,  National Physical Laboratory
TEDDINGTON, Middlesex TW11 0LW
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

            *    *    *

10. How does the WAM (Warren Abstract Machine) work?  How do I
   write a WAM-based compiler or a WAM emulator?

     Reportedly the best tutorial is Hassan Ait-Kaci's book
_Warren's Abstract Machine: A Tutorial Reconstruction_ (MIT
Press, 1991).  A public-domain WAM emulator, written in C++ by
Herve Touati, is available by anonymous FTP at site
"gatekeeper.dec.com", in directory "pub/plan/prolog/ucb".

            *    *    *

Acknowledgements

     For help in putting together this FAQ, thanks to Andrew
Davison, Mike Brady, Michael Covington, Stephen Bevan, John
Dowding, Thilo Kielmann, Paul Singleton, Dave Moffatt, Dani de
Ridder, Per Bilse, Chris Moss, Kathleen Pierco, Paul Tarau,
Jonathan Kamens, Jan Wielemaker, Dag Wahlberg, Micha Meier, Don
Sannella, Clive Spenser, Yuan Liu, Jonas Barklund, and Ian
Dickinson.  Special thanks to John Dowding for suggesting a good
format for the list, and to Chris Moss, Dag Wahlberg, and Mark
Kantrowitz for their work on the Prolog Resource Guide.

--Jamie Andrews.
  [e-mail]