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Learn Prolog Now (2006)

lpn.swi-prolog.org

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Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#21

Post by zemptime »

ramses0 wrote: post #15
zemptime wrote: post #10

I've recently started modeling some of my domains/potential code designs in Prolog. I'm not that advanced. I don't really know Prolog that well. But even just using a couple basic prolog patterns to implement a working spec in the 'prolog way' is *unbelievably* useful for shipping really clean code designs to replace hoary old chestnut code. (prolog -> ruby)

I keep wishing for "regex for prolog", ie: being able to (in an arbitrary language) express some functional bits in "prolog-ish", and then be able to ask/query against it. let prologBlob = new ProLog() prologBlob.add( "a => b" ).add( "b => c" ) prologBlob.query( "a == c?" ) == True (not exactly that, but hopefully you get the gist) There's so much stuff regarding constraints, access control, relationship queries that…

I've wished for the same kind of 'embed prolog in my ruby' for enumerating all possible cases, all invalid cases, etc in test suites. Interesting to know it's not just me!

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#22

Post by aeonik »

WillAdams wrote: post #14
qsort wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Python wins out in the versatility conversation because of its ecosystem, I'm still kinda convinced that the language itself is mid. Prolog has many implementations and you don't have the same wealth of libraries, but yes, it's Turing complete and not of the "Turing tarpit" variety, you could reasonably write entire applications in SWI-Prolog.

Right, Python is usually the second-best choice for a language for any problem --- arguably the one thing it is best at is learning to program (in Python) --- it wins based on ease-of-learning/familiarity/widespread usage/library availability.

More like 3rd to 5th best is most categories. There's just a lot of categories.

Its ease of use and deployment give it a lot more staying power.

The syntax is also pretty nice.

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#23

Post by glkindlmann »

DeathArrow wrote: post #20

What kind of problems is Prolog helping to solve besides GOFAI, theorem proving and computational linguistics?

Others have more complete answers, but the value for me of learning Prolog (in college) was being awakened to a refreshingly different way of expressing a program. Instead of saying "do this and this and this", you say "here's what it would mean for the program to be done".

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#24

Post by naasking »

zemptime wrote: post #21
ramses0 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep wishing for "regex for prolog", ie: being able to (in an arbitrary language) express some functional bits in "prolog-ish", and then be able to ask/query against it. let prologBlob = new ProLog() prologBlob.add( "a => b" ).add( "b => c" ) prologBlob.query( "a == c?" ) == True (not exactly that, but hopefully you get the gist) There's so much stuff regarding constraints, access control, relationship queries that…

I've wished for the same kind of 'embed prolog in my ruby' for enumerating all possible cases, all invalid cases, etc in test suites. Interesting to know it's not just me!

Maybe try a Ruby Kanren implementation:

https://minikanren.org/

uKanren is conceptually small and simple, here's a Ruby implementation: https://github.com/jsl/ruby_ukanren

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#26

Post by dflock »

ramses0 wrote: post #15
zemptime wrote: post #10

I've recently started modeling some of my domains/potential code designs in Prolog. I'm not that advanced. I don't really know Prolog that well. But even just using a couple basic prolog patterns to implement a working spec in the 'prolog way' is *unbelievably* useful for shipping really clean code designs to replace hoary old chestnut code. (prolog -> ruby)

I keep wishing for "regex for prolog", ie: being able to (in an arbitrary language) express some functional bits in "prolog-ish", and then be able to ask/query against it. let prologBlob = new ProLog() prologBlob.add( "a => b" ).add( "b => c" ) prologBlob.query( "a == c?" ) == True (not exactly that, but hopefully you get the gist) There's so much stuff regarding constraints, access control, relationship queries that…

There are a bunch of libraries that will do this - here's one example of a python one: https://github.com/yuce/pyswip - and a ruby one: https://github.com/preston/ruby-prolog

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#27

Post by dflock »

zemptime wrote: post #21
ramses0 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep wishing for "regex for prolog", ie: being able to (in an arbitrary language) express some functional bits in "prolog-ish", and then be able to ask/query against it. let prologBlob = new ProLog() prologBlob.add( "a => b" ).add( "b => c" ) prologBlob.query( "a == c?" ) == True (not exactly that, but hopefully you get the gist) There's so much stuff regarding constraints, access control, relationship queries that…

I've wished for the same kind of 'embed prolog in my ruby' for enumerating all possible cases, all invalid cases, etc in test suites. Interesting to know it's not just me!

There are a bunch of libraries that will do this - here's one example of a python one: https://github.com/yuce/pyswip - and a ruby one: https://github.com/preston/ruby-prolog

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#28

Post by dragonwriter »

ramses0 wrote: post #15
zemptime wrote: post #10

I've recently started modeling some of my domains/potential code designs in Prolog. I'm not that advanced. I don't really know Prolog that well. But even just using a couple basic prolog patterns to implement a working spec in the 'prolog way' is *unbelievably* useful for shipping really clean code designs to replace hoary old chestnut code. (prolog -> ruby)

I keep wishing for "regex for prolog", ie: being able to (in an arbitrary language) express some functional bits in "prolog-ish", and then be able to ask/query against it. let prologBlob = new ProLog() prologBlob.add( "a => b" ).add( "b => c" ) prologBlob.query( "a == c?" ) == True (not exactly that, but hopefully you get the gist) There's so much stuff regarding constraints, access control, relationship queries that…

While usually using native syntax rather than strings, somethign like that exists for most languages of any popularity (and many obscure ones), in the form of miniKanren implementations.

https://minikanren.org/

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#29

Post by ecshafer »

I really enjoyed learning Prolog in university, but it is a weird language. I think that 98% of tasks I would not want to use Prolog for, but for that remaining 2% of tasks it's extremely well suited for. I have always wished that I could easily call Prolog easily from other languages when it suited the use case, however good luck getting most companies to allow writing some code in Prolog.

Re: Learn Prolog Now (2006)

#30

Post by ux266478 »

DeathArrow wrote: post #20

What kind of problems is Prolog helping to solve besides GOFAI, theorem proving and computational linguistics?

Any kind of problem involving the construction, search or traversal of graphs of any variety from cyclic semi-directed graphs to trees, linear programming, constraint solving, compilers, databases, formal verification of any kind not just theorem proving, computational theory, data manipulation, and in general anything.
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