[Axiom-developer] RE: Axiom for Windows

[michel . lavaud]

Hello Bill,

Thanks for your answer and explanations.

> I also did some earlier experiments using Cygwin, but the
> GCL developers have moved to MinGW as the primary platform
> for Windows because it produces "native" code (does not
> depend on any non-Windows supplied libraries). The advantage
> of Cygwin however is that it does provide an X11 graphics
> environment which might be important in future gui development
> for Axiom. But I have other ideas about this based on my
> experience with TexMacs - an open source graphical mathematical
> text editor designed to interface with computer algebra
> systems.

I had bad experience some time ago with X11 server of cygwin when using
Lyx : I couldn't type accented letters of French, and sometimes the X11
window vanished without any notice. I suppose these problems have been
solved but I didn't try yet.

I think that Texmacs is interesting for education, but for research I
prefer to have total control on the input in the usual way, by entering
formulas linearly in Emacs/Xemacs and including the result, eventually
compiled by TeX as an image (as is done by imaxima.el for example). I have
no confidence on 2D interfaces : I remember a demonstration of Scientific
Word (Texmacs can be viewed as a free clone of SW) that gave two
completely different results from two inputs that appeared identical on
screen, and differed only by a few keystrokes (I don't know which ones,
because the man who did the demonstration switched hastily to something
else...)

So both would be desirable, in my opinion: mingw+(X)emacs for research,
cygwin+X11+Texmacs for training and education.

Best wishes
address@hidden
http://www.univ-orleans.fr/EXT/ASTEX
ftp://ftp.univ-orleans.fr/pub/tex/PC/AsTeX
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