3 ms·

Can anyone explain why a new language is needed, and why we can't just use existing languages for this?

hackermailman 7y ago
From one of their papers the DSL is geared towards non programmers: "The target user base of Obsidian is business professionals who will use the language to write smart contracts, and its design is thus oriented towards this domain. Obsidian programs consist of contracts – similar to classes in Java – which contain fields, states, and transactions – similar to methods." "We will target business students and business analysts with limited programming experience, in order to collect data from the intended user base of Obsidian." http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~NatProg/papers/barnaby17%20-%20Obsidian-plateau.pdf http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~NatProg/papers/barnaby17%20-%20Obsidi... In another paper they reveal they're also writing an IDE for this, overseen by some PhDs in 'human-computer interaction' so it should be simple to use though I find piles of complexity added by classes/methods the exact opposite of simple.
- derefr 7y ago
  > though I find piles of complexity added by classes/methods the exact opposite of simple. I mean, the model of your objects calling methods on other objects (that you don’t control)—and having your methods called by those same objects in turn—is inherent in the abstract machine being programmed for. You don’t have to use express the internals of your program as classes and methods, but that’s how people are going to see your contract “from the outside”, and that’s also how you’re going to have to interact with other contracts.
RedneckBob 7y ago
IOST uses the V8 JavaScript engine to execute it's smart contracts. Seems like a no brainer given the massive amount of existing JavaScript code, tools, and coders. https://developers.iost.io/docs/en/2-intro-of-iost/VM.html https://developers.iost.io/docs/en/2-intro-of-iost/VM.html

From one of their papers the DSL is geared towards non programmers: "The target user base of Obsidian is business professionals who will use the language to write smart contracts, and its design is thus oriented towards this domain. Obsidian programs consist of contracts – similar to classes in Java – which contain fields, states, and transactions – similar to methods." "We will target business students and business analysts with limited programming experience, in order to collect data from the intended user base of Obsidian." http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~NatProg/papers/barnaby17%20-%20Obsidian-plateau.pdf http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~NatProg/papers/barnaby17%20-%20Obsidi... In another paper they reveal they're also writing an IDE for this, overseen by some PhDs in 'human-computer interaction' so it should be simple to use though I find piles of complexity added by classes/methods the exact opposite of simple.

derefr 7y ago
> though I find piles of complexity added by classes/methods the exact opposite of simple. I mean, the model of your objects calling methods on other objects (that you don’t control)—and having your methods called by those same objects in turn—is inherent in the abstract machine being programmed for. You don’t have to use express the internals of your program as classes and methods, but that’s how people are going to see your contract “from the outside”, and that’s also how you’re going to have to interact with other contracts.

RedneckBob 7y ago

IOST uses the V8 JavaScript engine to execute it's smart contracts. Seems like a no brainer given the massive amount of existing JavaScript code, tools, and coders. https://developers.iost.io/docs/en/2-intro-of-iost/VM.html https://developers.iost.io/docs/en/2-intro-of-iost/VM.html