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prog


How to learn prolog ?

1 2023-09-05 16:40

Hi, i'm trying to learn prolog and wanted to know what would a could path.

Currently, i'm thinking:
1. "Learn prolog now" and/or "Adventure in Prolog" (amzi)
2. "Programming in Prolog" (Clocksin Mellish) and/or "Expert systems in Prolog" (amzi)
3. "Simply Logical"
4. "The power of prolog" and/or "Logic for problem solving, Revisited" (Kowalski)
5. "WAM, a tutorial reconstruction" and/or "The craft of prolog"

"Learn prolog now" and "adventure in prolog" seem to target beginners,
but "Programming in Prolog" is a classic, and i fear a big overlap.
"The power of prolog" is using a recent implementation (scryer) and teach more than the syntax,
but also use-cases, predicates calculus, ... I also quite like the hybrid video/text format.

5. is mainly to understand prolog under the hood, maybe to implement one myself later.

What do you think ? Is there some books that become irrelevant if i read another before ?
How would you prune this list, or is it good like that ?

2 2023-09-06 15:19

What about The Art of Prolog?

3 2023-09-06 17:04

Prolog is pretty simple, you don't need that much, especially since you already know Scheme. Clause and Effect: Prolog for the Working Programmer is what I would recommend.

4 2023-09-06 17:18

* start with the Prolog chapter in Seven Languages in Seven Weeks as a brief intro
* READ YOUR SICP
* read the standard! https://www.univ-orleans.fr/lifo/software/stdprolog/docs.html
* implement Prolog in Scheme using macros and continuations
* shitpost to be that grain of sand in the NWO ZOG Global AI machinery

5 2023-09-06 18:44 *

>>2
I haven't found it recommended when i searched online.
Is it good ? Would you recommend it ?

>>3

especially since you already know Scheme

Do I ? ^^
"Clause and Effect: Prolog for the Working Programmer" seems to also be written by Clocksin.
Between that one and "Programming in Prolog", which one would you recommend if you have read both ?

>>4
Thank you for the standard, and i will definitely check Seven languages in seven weeks.
Once i have a good grasp of the language, i might choose scheme for the implementation.
And as you pointed out, some chapters are about logic programming, didn't know that, thx.
I get that the fifth step is optional, but who knows.

6 2023-09-06 19:58 *

>>5

I get that the fifth step is optional, but who knows.

You should at least try the "bouillabaisse" to pay your respects to Alain Colmerauer. It's a dish from Marseille where Alain Colmerauer was from. Sadly, he passed away but his personal home page is still up. There are tons of interesting material there for you to read.

http://alain.colmerauer.free.fr
A Brief History of Prolog: http://alain.colmerauer.free.fr/alcol/ArchivesPublications/PrologHistory/19november92.pdf
and if you want a really more involved introduction: http://alain.colmerauer.free.fr/alcol/ArchivesPublications/Prolog3/acmprolog3e.pdf

7 2023-09-06 20:49 *

>>6
Thank you, i had already http://alain.colmerauer.free.fr/alcol/ArchivesTransparents/ChinaApril2011/NatLanguageProlog.pdf
but the whole website is a tresor trove.

Glad someone maintains server cost and domain name.

8 2023-09-06 21:06

>>5
I have not read Programming in Prolog, but Clause and Effect recommends it in its preface:

Clause and Effect_ can be a useful companion to two other books. The beginner might use __Clause and Effect as a sequel to the introductory text Programming in Prolog. The more experienced programmer may start with Clause and Effect and be writing useful programs within a few hours.

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