Pliant

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[edit] History

In computer software programming languages history, Pliant is the first attempt to connect C and LISP branches.

It was written by Hubert Tonneau, first published in 1999, and is released under GNU General Public License version 2.

[edit] Objective

Bring raw efficiency and high expressivity at once.

[edit] Selected solution

Focus on program encoding as opposed to language features.

[edit] Principles

Pliant is based on two main main concepts:

First, the program is successively encoded in four precisely defined models:

• Source code
• Expressions tree
• Instructions list
• Executable

Then, the three transitions between these four models can freely be changed at application level because the compiler is dynamic and reflexive.

As a result, Pliant meta programming is no more defined as syntactical rewriting as in LISP, but as a transition from the free semantic expressions tree model to the fixed semantic and efficient instructions list model. It has two consequences:

• a Pliant meta function is not only extending the semantic of the language, but is also responsible for providing efficient execution
• it avoids uncontrolled side effects between various extensions

[edit] State

A full computing system, named FullPliant has since been provided that is:

• A proof of concept that the language can be efficiently used in many areas (database engine, graphical stack, web framework, etc)
• A smaller, so easier to adapt, overall computing system

[edit] External links

• Pliant web sites dispatching page
• More detailed explanation of the four models and three transitions principles