[Peter Newman] 8 January 2005

"Unified Programming Language" is an attempt to create a programming language that combines the best features of all scripting and compiled languages - with none of their defects.

It arose from an idea suggested by [DKF] (I think,) on [Tcl/2], that it might be easier to improve Tcl if we started with a clean slate - and designed a new version thereof (called Tcl/2) - where backwards compatibility with traditional Tcl isn't a requirement. So we can take the bits we want, leave those we don't, and innovate to our hearts content.

Seems to me the best way to go. So this page and it's sub-pages are just an attempt to make that new '''Tcl/2''' happen.

Obviously however, it's too big a job for one person. So it'll die unless heaps of others - and that means YOU - pitch in.

I won't go on about what's right and wrong with existing Tcl. It's discussed exhaustively on this Wiki.

First thing we gotta do is get some concrete overall design down on paper. Here are the main features of the new language. Feel free to add more...

   * [UPL: No Core - No Core Team]
   * [UPL: The Bootstrap File]
   * [UPL: The Bootstrap Interpreter]
   * [UPL: Tcl, Perl, Python, C, Etc]
   * [UPL: The Language Parser(s)/Interpreter(s)]
   * [UPL: Command-Oriented & Object-Oriented Tcl/2]

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[Gustav Ivanovic] Huh ? This reminds me about something called M$ dot net framework.

[SLB] Yes. The Java Virtual Machine also has compilers for other languages, for example see [http://www.jython.org]. 
Also note that [parrot] has a Tcl implementation, though it appears there's still a lot of work to do on it
[http://cvs.perl.org/viewcvs/cvs-public/parrot/languages/tcl/TODO?rev=1.30&view=auto].
Does the world really need another multi-language virtual machine?

[DKF]: Just noting that I didn't suggest that. (I don't know who did though).

To me, the idea of a unified programming language reminds me very much of the phrase "Jack of all trades, but master of none." You gain in one area by making trade-offs in another.