Prolog Compiler / Interpreter

Appeared in Volume 10/2, May 1997

ian@corp.u-net.com
Ian Robinson
29th September 1996

Can anyone recommend a simple Prolog compiler/interperter for demonstrating the language to pre-university computing students?

timhowe@aol.com
Tim Howe
29th September 1996

Try SWI-Prolog. It's available for UNIX, DOS, and Windows, and conforms to DEC-10 Edinburgh Prolog.

mary@amzi.com
Mary Kroening
30th September 1996

Try our Amzi! Logic Explorer. It's a Windows 16-bit interpreter and Prolog language tutorial. It's great for learning and experimenting with small applications. Freeware for personal use, shareware for institutional use.

It can be downloaded from http://www.amzi.com/share.htm

tgritton@sprynet.com
Terry Gritton
2nd October 1996

Try LPA MacProlog.

Also, a shareware Prolog can be found at:
ftp://mirrors.aol.com//pub/info-mac/dev/open-prolog-103d26.hqx

ernie@pmnet.uni-oldenburg.de
Bert Speckels
1st October 1996

Here are some Prolog compilers/interpreters, with pros and cons. This list is from the German c't (computer technik) magazine from October 1996. Prices are in German DM. That issue also includes a free compiler from SWI.

Quintus Prolog
OS: DOS, Win3.1 Win95, NT
Pro: very good Standard-Prolog; many Libraries; pretty fast
Cons: for Windows; no IDE
Price: 3163 DM

SICStus Prolog
OS: Win95, NT, OS/2, Mac
Pro: very good Standard-Prolog; fast; many Libraries
Cons: no IDE
Price: 1380 DM

IF Prolog
OS: Win31, 95, NT
Pros: very good Standard-Prolog
Cons: poor IDE
Price: 3220 DM

LPA Prolog
OS: Win3.1 95, NT
Pros: good interface
Cons: slow
Price: 1740 DM

Visual Prolog
OS: Win 31., 95, NT, OS/2
Pros: very good IDE; pretty fast; good interface; code-experts
Cons: not a standard Prolog
Price: 1493 DM (Student), 2183 (Prof)

Orisapro
OS: OS/2, Win 95, NT
Pros: a standrd Prolog; IDE; interface
Price: 1150 DM

SWI Prolog
OS: Win 3.1, 95, NT (I think there is also an OS/2 version)
Pros: a standard Prolog
Cons: slow; bad IDE
Price: freeware

Amzi! Prolog
OS: DOS, Win 3.1, 95, NT
Pros: good interface
Cons: slow
Price: 1440 DM

Janusz Launberg
janusz@sics.se
1st October 1996

Regarding Bert's information on SICStus Prolog, I would like to add that the price of SICStus 3 is for a commercial SICStus license.

We also offer a cheaper single-user SICStus 3 license for personal, (strictly non-commercial) use. It is called an Individual license, and costs about 210 DM (US$ 137).

Apart from this, educational institutions having an academic (source code) SICStus 3 license may, under certain conditions, be granted the right to distribute binaries of SICStus 3 to their students free-of-charge.

For more information see:
http://www.sics.se/sicstus.html

carsten@pdc.dk
Carsten Christoffersen
8th October 1996

Take a look at Visual Prolog. There is detailed information about it at:
http://www.pdc.dk/vip/

Instead of buying the full-price Visual Prolog Standard Edition, you can get the same software (a complete 16-bit development environment and compiler for MS-Windows) for the introductory price of only US$129, plus shipping. We call this the "1st Step" version - it includes full documentation on CD, the "Getting Started with Visual Prolog" book, and limited technical support via email. When updating the "1st Step" version to a full license with all four manuals and full technical support, PDC will credit you US$100 for your first step purchase.