Re: [eclipse-users] ECLipSe in finance and business

I was trying to use Eclipse long ago, but in IC-PARC times there was no
commercial license for Eclipse. Therefore, I am using SICStus, and
taking into account the amount of code developed for SICStus it is
rather unlikely that I switch to Eclipse.

Anyway, I am using Prolog, strictly speaking as CLP(FD) engine for large
commercial applications from supply chain domain.

Cons:

1. One More Language in the enterprise is pain in the butt and is
associated with costs. Not only developers must be familiar with the
language, but implementation services, testing, packaging etc. Not all
of them must know Prolog fluently, but more or less they must know what
is this about,

2. Interface cost. Prolog is embedded into systems written in other
languages, and writing interface (especially bidirectional) is not a
piece of cake. It takes time to develop, in most cases it reduces to the
Common Denominator of Component Technology what means sockets, what
consequently is associated with not-so-great performance, 

3. Practically no programmers, at least loco USA

4. Poor development environments, strictly speaking no IDEs (forget
about EMACS)

Pros:

1. It is much easier and much faster to do constraint engines in Prolog
than in C++, and the difference is dramatic. C++ project was trashed
after we discovered that there is no way to deliver in time and within
budget (even using ... commercial library), and after spending 7 digit
number

2. Prologs come with excellent libraries of global constraints,
substantially outperforming these available in "classical" languages.
This way it is possible to avoid the Discovery of Wheel Syndrome,

Bottom line: in commercial environment the decision of using/not using
specific tools is at least 75% business motivated, the rest is
technical. In my case it required a bit of bravery, including the
possibility of being fired during the process. But the decision paid
back and is paying bask.

A.L.

P.S> By the way, I don't know about other application and company that
is using Prolog commercially...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: 
> eclipse-users-bounces+lewando=attglobal.net_at_crosscoreop.com 
> [mailto:eclipse-users-bounces+lewando=attglobal.net_at_crosscoreo
> p.com] On Behalf Of phiroc_at_free.fr
> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 9:44 AM
> To: ECLiPSe-Users_at_crosscoreop.com
> Subject: [eclipse-users] ECLipSe in finance and business
> 
> 
> 
> Hello again,
> 
> what would you say are the advantages of using ECLiPSe in 
> accounting, finance and business programs, over C++?
> 
> Why are there so many C++ jobs and so few prolog/ECLipSe jobs?
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Philippe
> 
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