Coherent programming in the Lincoln Reckoner

Abstract

"Coherent programming" refers to a set of conventions and techniques that we believe have the power to shape the growth of a library of programs, so that a user may draw upon them freely and with minimal concern about the details of their compatibility. The purpose of this paper is to explain the concept of coherence, and to show how it has been applied in the Lincoln Reckoner, an on-line system that provides computational assistance to scientists and engineers. The external specifications of the Reckoner, which have been presented elsewhere [1], will not be discussed here. Rather, this paper will concentrate on some of the " architectural" considerations in the design of user-oriented on-line systems.