#+TITLE: Sixth - system for data storage, computation, exploration and interaction
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* General
- This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the [[https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html][GNU Lesser General Public License]] as
published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
License, or (at your option) any later version.
- Program author:
- Svjatoslav Agejenko
- Homepage: https://svjatoslav.eu
- Email: mailto://svjatoslav@svjatoslav.eu
- [[https://www.svjatoslav.eu/projects/][Other software projects hosted at svjatoslav.eu]]
** Source code
+ Note - Sixth is currently empty parent/shell project. You can find
working code under [[id:52dbbf4c-2ef4-42a6-8331-ad006b6a52ae][sub-projects]].
- [[https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitweb/?p=sixth.git;a=snapshot;h=HEAD;sf=tgz][Download latest snapshot in TAR GZ format]]
- [[https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/gitweb/?p=sixth.git;a=summary][Browse Git repository online]]
- Clone Git repository using command:
: git clone https://www2.svjatoslav.eu/git/sixth.git
* Vision - A tool to amplify human ability
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: 1f4e1c17-d25f-4d92-aa9b-5785f1d86f4f
:END:
Goal is, so called bicycle for the mind.
A tool, that provides powerful, easy to use computing environment for
solving wide range of problems.
[[id:c19c5a3b-dfb0-4f7f-961c-a387b925669f][See extensible, programmable computing environment examples]]. In each
case you can install or develop plugins/extensions for every purpose
imaginable.
I would like to create better general purpose environment with the
following properties:
+ Makes data and insights easy to discover, understand and
manipulate/transform.
+ Things are visual, realtime with immediate feedback.
+ Extensively utilizes [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d/][realtime 3D graphics]] and capabilities of human
visual perception.
#+BEGIN_QUOTE
“Virtual reality holds the key to the evolution of the human mind”
Dr. Lawrence Angelo, The Lawnmower Man (1992)
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+ Behind the scenes, computations are done primarily in[[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-data/][ on versioned
data in distributed, scalable, frexible computation engine]].
+ Cross device:
+ Easily switch and/or combine computers to work seamlessly on any
tasks.
+ User interface, data, software, running proceses and available
computing power is not contained or limited by boundaries of any
single device.
** Extensible, programmable computing environment examples
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: c19c5a3b-dfb0-4f7f-961c-a387b925669f
:END:
+ [[https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2008/04/27/one-program-to-rule-them-all/][GNU Emacs]] - At the heart, Emacs is text editor on top of Lisp
runtime. Data storage and computation can be done in [[https://www.defmacro.org/ramblings/lisp.html][Lisp]]. Domain
specific languages to fit particular problem could be developed as
needed and Emacs extended to support those languages. Emacs provides
text buffers that can be used to build user interfaces.
+ [[https://www.eclipse.org/ide/][Eclipse IDE]] - In essence [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSGi][OSGi]] platform with a text
editor. Computation done in java. Eclipse provides integration,
runtime and GUI platform.
+ [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Notes][IBM Notes/Domino]] - Custom database engine, software development
platform, GUI editor, computation can be done in Java and
LotusScript.
+ [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABAP][SAP ABAP]] - Custom database engine, runtime, GUI platform,
development environment and programming language.
* Current status
+ Formulated high-level [[id:1f4e1c17-d25f-4d92-aa9b-5785f1d86f4f][vision / goal]].
+ In the process of implementing some of [[id:52dbbf4c-2ef4-42a6-8331-ad006b6a52ae][building blocks]].
+ System is nowhere near complete (given magnitude of effort required
and my free time available). Contributions welcome ! :)
* Architecture / components
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: 52dbbf4c-2ef4-42a6-8331-ad006b6a52ae
:END:
+ [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth/][Sixth]] - Parent project.
+ [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-data/][Sixth Data]] - Data storage and computation engine.
+ [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d/][Sixth 3D]] - 3D engine - for user interface and data visualization.
+ [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/sixth-3d-demos/][Sixth 3D engine demos]] - Demonstration of Sixth 3D engine capabilities.
* Computation ideas
+ Program - stored instructions for execution by computer.
+ Process - Currently running program.
+ Process is self contained. Has a full copy of program code and
every dependent library.
+ Memory used by processes is content addressed/deduplicated at
low level in the system.
+ This allows:
+ Upgrading software installed in the system without breaking
already running processes.
+ Easier migration of running processes between physical
computers.
+ Possibility to suspend/resume arbitrary processes to permament
storage.
+ Possibility checkpoint/revert running process.
+ Possibility to clone/branch running process.
* Frequently Given Answers
- Why such name ?
- In short: it's just a number.
- Many years ago inspired by the ideas of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_(programming_language)][Forth (programming
language)]] I decided to create my own implementation [[https://www3.svjatoslav.eu/projects/fifth/][Fifth]]
(computing/programming environment).
- Then I realized I miss type safe object oriented capabilities. So
I updated the name to Sixth and switched to Java.