[Maxima] GSL, FFI, GCL, Windows; was: find_root with bfloats

[Robert Dodier]

On 9/29/10, Barton Willis <willisb at unk.edu> wrote:

> A sturdy Maxima package system might be a good first step. For functions
> defined in both Maxima and GSL (for example, the gamma function),
> a package system would allow a user to easily switch between the Maxima
> and the GSL gamma function. There is Robert's share/namespace code.

The namespaces package works OK (it just exposes the
Lisp package stuff in Maxima) although I haven't figured out
what's best way to deal with cross-package references in Lisp code.
E.g. in a numerical package often one would like to call some
general Maxima functions. If the numerical package is in its
own namespace (Lisp package) and built-in functions are in
another, there probably has to be some package declaration
stuff to make the built-in stuff visible in the numerical package.
Probably I just haven't thought it through enough.
(3 different pronunications of "ough" in one sentence ... I love English.)

Just tried namespaces w/ CCL ... not happy. I guess it's
not entirely OK.

There is some strangeness which is inherited from the Lisp
package system, e.g. displaying the package name with every symbol.
The Lisp package system has its own strangeness so we
might go to the trouble of making a Maxima package system
which is substantially different.

FWIW

Robert Dodier