Re: ObjC dynamic parser

[glen e. p. ropella]

Marcus G. Daniels wrote:
> In the case of GP, I think it is a mistake to use a "special purpose
> language".

> My point is that thinking of GP as nothing more than S-Expressions
> (presumably building on some simple parsing mechanism) will
> reduce the space of feasible problems relative to using rich language
> substrate.  And so long as a rich language substrate is wanted, it
> might as be available for all kinds of programming.

You're right that GP can be done on any program specification mechanism
that covers contingencies; but, my point was not to propose that we
include
the capability of parsing special purpose languages *just* for GP.  My 
point was that special purpose languages should be accomodated in the
same
way as multi-purpose languages, *especially* for those cases where the 
multi-purpose languages might not be adequate or might provide too much 
overhead and complexity.

I would no more want to use Java for GP than I'd want to use lisp for 
discrete-event simulation.  In fact, if *any* language, special purpose
or not, can be parsed by a parser supplied to Swarm, then I can easily 
see a population of agents who parse the same language in different 
ways, thereby allowing evolution over both the genetic specification 
(the program) AND over the decoding of that specification (the parser).

So, the point is not to *allow* a rich language substrate, but to allow
any language substrate, beit rich or poor, well-defined (Koza's closure)
or ill-defined (exception handling).

glen
-- 
Glen E. Ropella           (505) 424-0448
The Swarm Corporation     <address@hidden>


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