Tablog: Functional and Relational Programming in One Framework

Tablog12 is a logic programming ing languages, given their emphasis on A program in Tablog is a list of forlanguage that combines functional and using predicates to describe computamulas in quantifier-free, first-order relational programming into a unified tions. logic with equality and is usually more framework. It incorporates advanAn even broader definition of the natural than the corresponding protages of two of the leading programconcept of logic programming ingram in either Lisp or Prolog. The inming languages for symbolic macludes any programming language clusion of equivalence, negation, connipulation-Prolog and Lisp-by that is based on a formal logic system. ditionals, functions, and equality in including both relations and functions In this broader sense, for example, Tablog lets the programmer combine and adding the power of unification as (pure) Lisp is also a logic programming functional and relational programa binding mechanism. language, based on the lambda calcuming in the same framework. Though in many circles the term lus, and so are the various languages Unlike Lisp, which simulates predilogic programming is considered synbased on equational logic. cates using functions, or Prolog, onymous with programming in ProWhile Prolog excludes functions which simulates functions using predilog, this is a very narrow interpretaand true negation, Tablog does not. cates, Tablog uses both predicate and tion. A more general definition refers The inclusion of real negation, condifunction symbols naturally, just as to the use of some subset of first-order tionals, and equivalence makes Tablog predicate logic does. Relations defined predicate logic as a programming lanricher and more convenient than Proby predicates can still be conveniently guage. Tablog falls under this definilog even as a purely relational lanused to implement multiple-valued tion. Once we follow this wider interguage. The inclusion of functions and functions. An important advantage pretation, we can probably call Prolog equality enables Tablog to enjoymany over Lisp is the use of unification as and its variants relational programrmof the features of functional languages. the binding mechanism; this makes it