First language designed to support embedding?

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Some languages like Python, Lua, and Tcl are designed with the intention that you can easily embed the interpreter into some other native program. For example, many VFX applications like Nuke, Maya, and Houdini have an embedded Python script editor that executes the Python scripts in-process so they can manipulate the host application. Lua is popular as a language embedded in some games.



What was the first such scripting language that was specifically intended to be hosted inside of some other large host process, rather than just being invoked externally by shelling out the way you might execute a typical Bash or Perl script?










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    Tough to answer this without adding some qualifiers, since any script interpreter can trivially be built as a library callable from some other native/compiled language. I think Python was the first to do it WELL, since it has an API that also supports native extensions WHILE embedding it.
    – Brian H
    6 hours ago







  • 2




    An often overlooked one is Microsofts VBA (as well as VBS) developed in the early 1990s.
    – Raffzahn
    5 hours ago










  • Excel's formulas are a kind of embedded "language", but I doubt that's the kind of answer you are looking for. If you revise your question, consider that.
    – Dr Sheldon
    3 hours ago










  • @Raffzahn - of course, we definitely shouldn't overlook it here ... VBA was designed by Joel Spolsky, cofounder of Stack Exchange.
    – Jules
    3 hours ago










  • An honourable mention should be made for a variety of LISPs that were used for scripting purposes in many applications, e.g. Emacs and AutoCAD. While the original language wasn't designed for embedding specifically (the concept didn't really exist when LISP was designed!), it is particularly well adapted for it because of how simple it is to implement (cf Greenspun's 10th Rule). LISPs have continued to be used successfully even after purpose-designed alternatives became available (e.g. GIMP, which is scripted using a variant of Scheme).
    – Jules
    2 hours ago















up vote
3
down vote

favorite












Some languages like Python, Lua, and Tcl are designed with the intention that you can easily embed the interpreter into some other native program. For example, many VFX applications like Nuke, Maya, and Houdini have an embedded Python script editor that executes the Python scripts in-process so they can manipulate the host application. Lua is popular as a language embedded in some games.



What was the first such scripting language that was specifically intended to be hosted inside of some other large host process, rather than just being invoked externally by shelling out the way you might execute a typical Bash or Perl script?










share|improve this question







New contributor




wrosecrans is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 1




    Tough to answer this without adding some qualifiers, since any script interpreter can trivially be built as a library callable from some other native/compiled language. I think Python was the first to do it WELL, since it has an API that also supports native extensions WHILE embedding it.
    – Brian H
    6 hours ago







  • 2




    An often overlooked one is Microsofts VBA (as well as VBS) developed in the early 1990s.
    – Raffzahn
    5 hours ago










  • Excel's formulas are a kind of embedded "language", but I doubt that's the kind of answer you are looking for. If you revise your question, consider that.
    – Dr Sheldon
    3 hours ago










  • @Raffzahn - of course, we definitely shouldn't overlook it here ... VBA was designed by Joel Spolsky, cofounder of Stack Exchange.
    – Jules
    3 hours ago










  • An honourable mention should be made for a variety of LISPs that were used for scripting purposes in many applications, e.g. Emacs and AutoCAD. While the original language wasn't designed for embedding specifically (the concept didn't really exist when LISP was designed!), it is particularly well adapted for it because of how simple it is to implement (cf Greenspun's 10th Rule). LISPs have continued to be used successfully even after purpose-designed alternatives became available (e.g. GIMP, which is scripted using a variant of Scheme).
    – Jules
    2 hours ago













up vote
3
down vote

favorite









up vote
3
down vote

favorite











Some languages like Python, Lua, and Tcl are designed with the intention that you can easily embed the interpreter into some other native program. For example, many VFX applications like Nuke, Maya, and Houdini have an embedded Python script editor that executes the Python scripts in-process so they can manipulate the host application. Lua is popular as a language embedded in some games.



What was the first such scripting language that was specifically intended to be hosted inside of some other large host process, rather than just being invoked externally by shelling out the way you might execute a typical Bash or Perl script?










share|improve this question







New contributor




wrosecrans is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











Some languages like Python, Lua, and Tcl are designed with the intention that you can easily embed the interpreter into some other native program. For example, many VFX applications like Nuke, Maya, and Houdini have an embedded Python script editor that executes the Python scripts in-process so they can manipulate the host application. Lua is popular as a language embedded in some games.



What was the first such scripting language that was specifically intended to be hosted inside of some other large host process, rather than just being invoked externally by shelling out the way you might execute a typical Bash or Perl script?







programming






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wrosecrans is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







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asked 8 hours ago









wrosecrans

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1193




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Check out our Code of Conduct.







  • 1




    Tough to answer this without adding some qualifiers, since any script interpreter can trivially be built as a library callable from some other native/compiled language. I think Python was the first to do it WELL, since it has an API that also supports native extensions WHILE embedding it.
    – Brian H
    6 hours ago







  • 2




    An often overlooked one is Microsofts VBA (as well as VBS) developed in the early 1990s.
    – Raffzahn
    5 hours ago










  • Excel's formulas are a kind of embedded "language", but I doubt that's the kind of answer you are looking for. If you revise your question, consider that.
    – Dr Sheldon
    3 hours ago










  • @Raffzahn - of course, we definitely shouldn't overlook it here ... VBA was designed by Joel Spolsky, cofounder of Stack Exchange.
    – Jules
    3 hours ago










  • An honourable mention should be made for a variety of LISPs that were used for scripting purposes in many applications, e.g. Emacs and AutoCAD. While the original language wasn't designed for embedding specifically (the concept didn't really exist when LISP was designed!), it is particularly well adapted for it because of how simple it is to implement (cf Greenspun's 10th Rule). LISPs have continued to be used successfully even after purpose-designed alternatives became available (e.g. GIMP, which is scripted using a variant of Scheme).
    – Jules
    2 hours ago













  • 1




    Tough to answer this without adding some qualifiers, since any script interpreter can trivially be built as a library callable from some other native/compiled language. I think Python was the first to do it WELL, since it has an API that also supports native extensions WHILE embedding it.
    – Brian H
    6 hours ago







  • 2




    An often overlooked one is Microsofts VBA (as well as VBS) developed in the early 1990s.
    – Raffzahn
    5 hours ago










  • Excel's formulas are a kind of embedded "language", but I doubt that's the kind of answer you are looking for. If you revise your question, consider that.
    – Dr Sheldon
    3 hours ago










  • @Raffzahn - of course, we definitely shouldn't overlook it here ... VBA was designed by Joel Spolsky, cofounder of Stack Exchange.
    – Jules
    3 hours ago










  • An honourable mention should be made for a variety of LISPs that were used for scripting purposes in many applications, e.g. Emacs and AutoCAD. While the original language wasn't designed for embedding specifically (the concept didn't really exist when LISP was designed!), it is particularly well adapted for it because of how simple it is to implement (cf Greenspun's 10th Rule). LISPs have continued to be used successfully even after purpose-designed alternatives became available (e.g. GIMP, which is scripted using a variant of Scheme).
    – Jules
    2 hours ago








1




1




Tough to answer this without adding some qualifiers, since any script interpreter can trivially be built as a library callable from some other native/compiled language. I think Python was the first to do it WELL, since it has an API that also supports native extensions WHILE embedding it.
– Brian H
6 hours ago





Tough to answer this without adding some qualifiers, since any script interpreter can trivially be built as a library callable from some other native/compiled language. I think Python was the first to do it WELL, since it has an API that also supports native extensions WHILE embedding it.
– Brian H
6 hours ago





2




2




An often overlooked one is Microsofts VBA (as well as VBS) developed in the early 1990s.
– Raffzahn
5 hours ago




An often overlooked one is Microsofts VBA (as well as VBS) developed in the early 1990s.
– Raffzahn
5 hours ago












Excel's formulas are a kind of embedded "language", but I doubt that's the kind of answer you are looking for. If you revise your question, consider that.
– Dr Sheldon
3 hours ago




Excel's formulas are a kind of embedded "language", but I doubt that's the kind of answer you are looking for. If you revise your question, consider that.
– Dr Sheldon
3 hours ago












@Raffzahn - of course, we definitely shouldn't overlook it here ... VBA was designed by Joel Spolsky, cofounder of Stack Exchange.
– Jules
3 hours ago




@Raffzahn - of course, we definitely shouldn't overlook it here ... VBA was designed by Joel Spolsky, cofounder of Stack Exchange.
– Jules
3 hours ago












An honourable mention should be made for a variety of LISPs that were used for scripting purposes in many applications, e.g. Emacs and AutoCAD. While the original language wasn't designed for embedding specifically (the concept didn't really exist when LISP was designed!), it is particularly well adapted for it because of how simple it is to implement (cf Greenspun's 10th Rule). LISPs have continued to be used successfully even after purpose-designed alternatives became available (e.g. GIMP, which is scripted using a variant of Scheme).
– Jules
2 hours ago





An honourable mention should be made for a variety of LISPs that were used for scripting purposes in many applications, e.g. Emacs and AutoCAD. While the original language wasn't designed for embedding specifically (the concept didn't really exist when LISP was designed!), it is particularly well adapted for it because of how simple it is to implement (cf Greenspun's 10th Rule). LISPs have continued to be used successfully even after purpose-designed alternatives became available (e.g. GIMP, which is scripted using a variant of Scheme).
– Jules
2 hours ago











2 Answers
2






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3
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TCL was invented in the late 1980s explicitly as an embedded command language. Its author, John Ousterhout, claims embeddability as a 'unique aspect' (at the time).



http://www.tcl.tk/about/history.html






share|improve this answer




















  • TCL was my first thought, too. Even after Python and Lua became available in the early-mid 90s, TCL was often the go-to language for applications that needed an embedded scripting language. For example, a lot of the big commercial electronic design application suites are scripted with TCL (e.g. Altera Quartus or Xilinx ISE).
    – Jules
    3 hours ago

















up vote
1
down vote













REXX is a scripting language designed in the late 70s/early 80s, and which has frequently been used in embedded applications. Its design goals are very similar to TCL and Python's -- to provide an easily extensible language that can be used to integrate functions provided by a variety of third-party software easily. That it is also easy to embed in that third-party software is essentially a by-product of that decision (as it is in Python's case too, although TCL did specifically intend that outcome in its design).



REXX's most popular incarnation was almost certainly ARexx, the standard scripting language of the Amiga OS, and which was first released the year before work began on TCL.






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    2 Answers
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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

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    active

    oldest

    votes








    up vote
    3
    down vote













    TCL was invented in the late 1980s explicitly as an embedded command language. Its author, John Ousterhout, claims embeddability as a 'unique aspect' (at the time).



    http://www.tcl.tk/about/history.html






    share|improve this answer




















    • TCL was my first thought, too. Even after Python and Lua became available in the early-mid 90s, TCL was often the go-to language for applications that needed an embedded scripting language. For example, a lot of the big commercial electronic design application suites are scripted with TCL (e.g. Altera Quartus or Xilinx ISE).
      – Jules
      3 hours ago














    up vote
    3
    down vote













    TCL was invented in the late 1980s explicitly as an embedded command language. Its author, John Ousterhout, claims embeddability as a 'unique aspect' (at the time).



    http://www.tcl.tk/about/history.html






    share|improve this answer




















    • TCL was my first thought, too. Even after Python and Lua became available in the early-mid 90s, TCL was often the go-to language for applications that needed an embedded scripting language. For example, a lot of the big commercial electronic design application suites are scripted with TCL (e.g. Altera Quartus or Xilinx ISE).
      – Jules
      3 hours ago












    up vote
    3
    down vote










    up vote
    3
    down vote









    TCL was invented in the late 1980s explicitly as an embedded command language. Its author, John Ousterhout, claims embeddability as a 'unique aspect' (at the time).



    http://www.tcl.tk/about/history.html






    share|improve this answer












    TCL was invented in the late 1980s explicitly as an embedded command language. Its author, John Ousterhout, claims embeddability as a 'unique aspect' (at the time).



    http://www.tcl.tk/about/history.html







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 3 hours ago









    dave

    1561




    1561











    • TCL was my first thought, too. Even after Python and Lua became available in the early-mid 90s, TCL was often the go-to language for applications that needed an embedded scripting language. For example, a lot of the big commercial electronic design application suites are scripted with TCL (e.g. Altera Quartus or Xilinx ISE).
      – Jules
      3 hours ago
















    • TCL was my first thought, too. Even after Python and Lua became available in the early-mid 90s, TCL was often the go-to language for applications that needed an embedded scripting language. For example, a lot of the big commercial electronic design application suites are scripted with TCL (e.g. Altera Quartus or Xilinx ISE).
      – Jules
      3 hours ago















    TCL was my first thought, too. Even after Python and Lua became available in the early-mid 90s, TCL was often the go-to language for applications that needed an embedded scripting language. For example, a lot of the big commercial electronic design application suites are scripted with TCL (e.g. Altera Quartus or Xilinx ISE).
    – Jules
    3 hours ago




    TCL was my first thought, too. Even after Python and Lua became available in the early-mid 90s, TCL was often the go-to language for applications that needed an embedded scripting language. For example, a lot of the big commercial electronic design application suites are scripted with TCL (e.g. Altera Quartus or Xilinx ISE).
    – Jules
    3 hours ago










    up vote
    1
    down vote













    REXX is a scripting language designed in the late 70s/early 80s, and which has frequently been used in embedded applications. Its design goals are very similar to TCL and Python's -- to provide an easily extensible language that can be used to integrate functions provided by a variety of third-party software easily. That it is also easy to embed in that third-party software is essentially a by-product of that decision (as it is in Python's case too, although TCL did specifically intend that outcome in its design).



    REXX's most popular incarnation was almost certainly ARexx, the standard scripting language of the Amiga OS, and which was first released the year before work began on TCL.






    share|improve this answer
























      up vote
      1
      down vote













      REXX is a scripting language designed in the late 70s/early 80s, and which has frequently been used in embedded applications. Its design goals are very similar to TCL and Python's -- to provide an easily extensible language that can be used to integrate functions provided by a variety of third-party software easily. That it is also easy to embed in that third-party software is essentially a by-product of that decision (as it is in Python's case too, although TCL did specifically intend that outcome in its design).



      REXX's most popular incarnation was almost certainly ARexx, the standard scripting language of the Amiga OS, and which was first released the year before work began on TCL.






      share|improve this answer






















        up vote
        1
        down vote










        up vote
        1
        down vote









        REXX is a scripting language designed in the late 70s/early 80s, and which has frequently been used in embedded applications. Its design goals are very similar to TCL and Python's -- to provide an easily extensible language that can be used to integrate functions provided by a variety of third-party software easily. That it is also easy to embed in that third-party software is essentially a by-product of that decision (as it is in Python's case too, although TCL did specifically intend that outcome in its design).



        REXX's most popular incarnation was almost certainly ARexx, the standard scripting language of the Amiga OS, and which was first released the year before work began on TCL.






        share|improve this answer












        REXX is a scripting language designed in the late 70s/early 80s, and which has frequently been used in embedded applications. Its design goals are very similar to TCL and Python's -- to provide an easily extensible language that can be used to integrate functions provided by a variety of third-party software easily. That it is also easy to embed in that third-party software is essentially a by-product of that decision (as it is in Python's case too, although TCL did specifically intend that outcome in its design).



        REXX's most popular incarnation was almost certainly ARexx, the standard scripting language of the Amiga OS, and which was first released the year before work began on TCL.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered 2 hours ago









        Jules

        8,32222244




        8,32222244




















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