On MAML's status [was: Re: doubtful RPMs?]

[Laszlo Gulyas]

Dear All,

First I want to apologize to spam this list with this 'MAML status
report' but ,as it came up recently (and as we were addressed
explicitely by Alex :-)), I felt that it might be of interest to some members.

The MAML project has been turned down at the Systems Laboratory,
Central European University. This stopped its development (but not
its support!) for several months, but I have been working on ways to
start it again. Now, after a sequence of up- and downhill rides, I can 
announce that the project is being continued, although currently with 
very limited efforts. (This does not effect the support which was and
will be volunteered continuously.)

We have the next release scheduled for the end of this month; a minor 
bug-fix release on one hand and a major step on another. In fact,
we have been a bit too conservative when calling our current release
as an 'alpha' version. After almost 2 years' continuous and stable use 
it would be time to call it something that suggest a more robust product.
I would also like to announce that the first public version of MAML's
graphical interface is scheduled for the end of July. This package,
however, will only enter alpha by then.

Another mistake on our side was the lack of public communication
(this mail is, in fact, kind of a compensation ;-)). The MAML compiler
has been tested with newer versions of Swarm continuously and no 
real problems has been detected. We have never made an official 
report on these testings, nor updates to the MAML site, however, so 
this compatibility remained 'anecdotical'. With the new version 
scheduled for the end of March, we plan to have a report on these 
testings. Unfortunately, we don't have access to as wide a range of 
platforms as it is supported by Swarm, so this report will not be 
complete. (E.g. we did not have access to Red Hat linux until
recently. Now, this is solved, so we have a better look at that platform. 
To tell the truth this is the platform which seems to be most effected 
by incompatibilities. Not unbearable, however.)

Well, that's about MAML for now. In a couple of weeks, we'll have
a new release on a new site with new information. I'll be back
to you then.

Regards,

Gulya
--
Laszlo Gulyas                           address@hidden
AI Laboratory                           http://www.sztaki.hu/~gulyas/
Computer and Automation Research Inst.  H-1111, Budapest, Kende u. 13-17.
Hungarian Academy of Sciences           * 36 1 209-6194


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