#5 Ability to Compile to Other Languages and to Embed in Other Programs.

[Martin Baker]

I would like to be able to compile to the source code of a more mainstream language so that I could then add graphics and other things better done in another language.

SPAD is a very powerful language but it is also quite specialised. It seems silly to try to do things in SPAD that are not mathematical and are more easily done in other languages.

The most important example for me is graphics. I would like to work with finite mathematical structures, however input/output is very messy using the command line (just look at graph theory here:
http://www.euclideanspace.com/maths/standards/program/mycode/discrete/graph
) the user has to type in and try to understand long complicated strings) it would be so much more user friendly with a two-way graphical interface.

Developer resources seem to be spread too thinly for, even the core mathematics. I would like to use other languages to do what they are good at, specifically graphics but also other areas where other languages have better libraries.

I don't really like the idea of external (pipe) interfaces to other programs. The problem is that:

• It could be a hassle for non-techies to set up and debug.
• If anything changes: FriCAS, Lisp or other program, then it could stop working.

I also don't like the idea of some mixed language setup if it requires two garbage collectors to be coordinated. It would be a lot better if FriCAS compiled to the source code of another language.