[MUD-Dev] Re: Bruce Sterling on Virtual Community goals

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 19 Oct 98, Jon Leonard wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 19, 1998 at 05:37:55PM -0600, Chris Gray wrote:
> 
> > I'd be game to do an in-MUD programming language component, but I betcha
> > few people would like the language (mostly strongly typed, syntax not
> > at all like C, etc.)
> 
> My Lisp-like language would probably be as unpopular as your language.
> I think a better approach would be to figure out what kind of primitives
> a language might need from the rest of the server.  That lets us have
> several different languages (possibly simultaneously), as tastes will
> vary.
> 
> I don't think a single monolithic server would be flexible enough for
> what most of us are interested in.   I'd build a mix and match collection
> of components for things like internal language.  Some successful MUDs
> don't have internal languages at all, and that's a model we should support
> too.
> 

You're right.  I think a better way to approach an extensible 
(generic?) internal mud language is to design the VM first.  More 
particularly a byte-code assembler.  From there, anyone could create 
a compiler for their favorite language du jour.   If you prefer 
strong typing over weak typing, the compiler would simply ignore or 
not generate opcodes that deal with type promotions/conversions. 

This sounds like an interesting project.  Something where you could 
limit the scope quite nicely to a drop in VM component with clearly 
delineated boundaries.   

I'm game.  :)  

--
--/*\ Jon A. Lambert - TychoMUD     Internet:jlsysinc at ix.netcom.com /*\--
--/*\ Mud Server Developer's Page <http://www.netcom.com/~jlsysinc> /*\--
--/*\   "Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato   /*\--