A sharp - Definition and Overview

The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. The correct title is A# programming language.

A# as part of the Axiom computer algebra system

A# (A sharp) is an object-oriented functional programming language distributed as a separable component of Version 2 of the Axiom computer algebra system. A# types and functions are first-class values and can be used freely in conjunction with an extensive library of data structures and other mathematical abstractions. A key design guideline for A# was suitability of compilation to portable and efficient machine code.

Development of A# has now switched to the Aldor programming language.

There is both an A# optimising compiler and an A# intermediate code interpreter. The compiler can produce any of:

• stand-alone executable programs
• object libraries in native operating system formats
• portable bytecode libraries
• C source code, or
• Lisp source code.

Ports have been made to many different architectures (16, 32, and 64 bit):

• RS/6000
• SPARC
• DEC Alpha
• IA-32
• Intel 286
• Motorola 680x0
• System/370

And to several operating systems:

• Linux
• AIX
• SunOS
• HP-UX
• NeXT
• Mach
• plus a variety of other Unix systems
• OS/2
• DOS
• Microsoft Windows
• VMS
• VM/CMS

The following C compilers are supported: gcc, Xlc, Sun, Borland, Metaware and MIPS C.

A# as part of the .NET environment

A# is a port of the Ada programming language to the Microsoft .NET Platform. A# is freely distributed by the Department of Computer Science at the United States Air Force Academy as a service to the Ada community under the terms of the GNU general public license.

See http://www.usafa.af.mil/dfcs/bios/mcc_html/a_sharp.html.