As you embark on this project, I'd like to point out the relationship between spreadsheets and Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) : each cell with a formula is what one could call purely functional (referentially transparent) in FP, and their chaining together is basically functions depending on other functions.
When you use Excel's "Trace Dependents" functionality, you're basically asking for a Call Graph!
Comments
As you embark on this project, I'd like to point out the relationship between spreadsheets and Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) : each cell with a formula is what one could call purely functional (referentially transparent) in FP, and their chaining together is basically functions depending on other functions.
When you use Excel's "Trace Dependents" functionality, you're basically asking for a Call Graph!
In this sense, a spreadsheet is a tangible functional programming system. @see Conal Elliot's Eros : http://conal.net/papers/Eros/eros.pdf
I get the feeling there is a GREAT idea in this space waiting to happen, so by all means, go ahead and rock it! :-)
I understand relation to FP. I even think of having lazy-evaluated infinite sequences in my system :)
BTW, great thanks for the paper, it seems to be closely related to what I'm working on.
Nice!