Basis: setting the scientist free

Abstract

Basis is a program development system for scientific programs. The Basis system includes two major components, a program development system and a runtime package. The runtime package provides the Basis language interpreter, through which the user does input, output, and plotting, and controls the program's subroutines and functions. Variables in the scientific packages are known to this interpreter, so that the user may arbitrarily print, plot, and calculate with any major program variables. Also provided are facilities for dynamic memory management, terminal logs, error recovery, text-file I/O, and the attachment of non-Basis-developed packages. A Basis program consists of the runtime system with zero or more independently developed packages attached. A configuration program controls which packages are loaded together to make the program. Thus, different portions of the program can be developed separately, and packages can be reused from one program to another.<>