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Lowering the Learning Curve for Declarative Programming: A Python API for the IDP System

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Practical Aspects of Declarative Languages (PADL 2017)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 10137))

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Abstract

Programmers may be hesitant to use declarative systems, because of the associated learning curve. In this paper, we present an API that integrates the IDP Knowledge Base system into the Python programming language. IDP is a state-of-the-art logical system, which uses SAT, SMT, Logic Programming and Answer Set Programming technology. Python is currently one of the most widely used (teaching) languages for programming. The first goal of our API is to allow a Python programmer to use the declarative power of IDP, without needing to learn any new syntax or semantics. The second goal is allow IDP to be added to/removed from an existing code base with minimal changes.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    http://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/176450-python-is-now-the-most-popular-introductory-teaching-language-at-top-us-universities/fulltext.

  2. 2.

    http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/software/the-2016-top-programming-languages.

  3. 3.

    http://xsb.sourceforge.net/.

  4. 4.

    http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Solve_a_Hidato_puzzle#Python.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Computerscience @ Technology Campus De Nayer, KU Leuven, J.-P. De Nayerlaan 5, 2860, Sint-katelijne-waver, Belgium

    Joost Vennekens

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  1. Joost Vennekens
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Correspondence to Joost Vennekens .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

    Yuliya Lierler

  2. Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden

    Walid Taha

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Vennekens, J. (2017). Lowering the Learning Curve for Declarative Programming: A Python API for the IDP System. In: Lierler, Y., Taha, W. (eds) Practical Aspects of Declarative Languages. PADL 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10137. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51676-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51676-9_6

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