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I got to visit the control centre while it was under construction back in 2016 (I think: I was one of the guests at an SF convention, hence the special group to
by cstross 4y ago
I got to visit the control centre while it was under construction back in 2016 (I think: I was one of the guests at an SF convention, hence the special group tour). One factoid that stuck with me was they also considered micro-Python, but Javascript won because it supported floats. They were looking for an embeddable scripting language that astronomers could reasonably be expected to learn or already use for directing observations, so it had to be compact, very popular or ubiquitous, expected to remain so throughout the working life of the telescope, and easy to learn. (It was to be used not by CS grads but by astronomers.)
It's a cut-down subset of the language and bolted down to prevent idiots installing random packages off the internet on an irreplaceable $10Bn instrument.
- Evidlo 4y agoAs far as I'm aware, JS was chosen long before Micropython or node existed.
- skybrian 4y agoIs there a document describing the language subset they picked?
- cstross 4y agoNot sure (but probably yes): I seem to recall ECMAScript was mentioned, not sure what version number.
- cxr 4y agoA superset of ECMA-262, 3rd edition (1999). <https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/us/devspace/manual/c/html/TH_416.htm https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/us/devspace/manual/c/html/TH...> (full docs: <https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/us/devspace/manual/c/html/index.htm https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/us/devspace/manual/c/html/in...>) Moar: - <https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/6.2006-5747 https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/6.2006-5747> - <https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/history/HistoryOfNombas.html#h.y24aqk4pftn8 https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/history/HistoryOfNombas.html...>
- skybrian 4y agoThanks! Those are good links. Unfortunately the manual is rather vague; it’s not clear what the ScriptEase language extensions to JavaScript are, versus adding more objects and methods, which I wouldn’t consider to be changing the language. I am not sure what they are talking about with this page about lifetimes: <https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/us/devspace/manual/c/html/TH_279.htm https://brent-noorda.com/nombas/us/devspace/manual/c/html/TH...>
- sentientslug 4y agoYes, in the article it says "Nombas ScriptEase 5.00e"
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- nine_k 4y agoIt seems that the choice of what would work reasonably on the hardware while being orbit-programmable and not esotheric boils down to JS, Lua, Scheme, and Forth. The latter two have a steeper learning curve. Between JS and Lua, the former has more implementations, and by far more widely known.
- nameistaken 4y ago> It's a cut-down subset of the language and bolted down to prevent idiots installing random packages off the internet on an irreplaceable $10Bn instrument. Webb-pack? Amirite?! Heyoh!