The Howdy Glossary

POP-11 is a reflective, incrementally compiled programming language developed in 1976 at the University of Sussex under the guidance of Professor Robin Popplestone. It was designed primarily for teaching artificial intelligence and cognitive science, supporting object-oriented programming through the use of processes and employing syntax based on S-expressions. POP-11 offers a unique programming environment that allows developers to work with different paradigms within a single program, making it suitable for interdisciplinary research and teaching.

One of the distinctive features of POP-11 includes its support for object-oriented programming through processes, enabling effective modeling of real-world entities. Its syntax based on S-expressions provides a concise and expressive manner to represent code. Additionally, POP-11's integration within the POPLOG software development environment allows seamless interaction with other languages such as Common Lisp, Prolog, and Standard ML. This integration facilitates combining different programming paradigms within a single program, providing versatility beneficial for tackling complex problems across various disciplines.

Competitors to POP-11 include Python, Java, and Prolog—each offering different strengths attractive to developers in AI and cognitive science fields. While Python excels in AI and machine learning applications due to its extensive libraries and ease of use, Java offers robustness and performance capabilities useful in various development projects. Prolog is specifically designed for logic programming tasks related to AI. However, POP-11's competitive advantage lies in its unique combination of features: object-oriented processes modeling supported by S-expression syntax within an integrative environment like POPLOG. This makes it particularly advantageous for researchers seeking versatility across multiple computational domains while blending various styles effectively.