3.4. Implementation pragmatics
This section discusses requirements in terms of the
constraints imposed by an implementation.
There are several requirements all software must meet:
- Performance
- Interscript must be very fast because it must be executed after
every change to program source code or documentation.
If this additional processing time is significant compared to
the time other build components such as compilers take,
it is likely to be an impediment to practical software development,
especially that for which documentation is not as highly rated as
functionality.
- Portability
- Interscript must be highly portable: it must at least be able to execute
on Unix, Windows, and Mac platforms with minimal installation and
maintenance hassles. The installation and configuration must be manageable
by people who are specialists in some computing field -- not necessarily
the interscript implementation language or the host platform.
- Accessibility
- Interscript must be easy to get hold of.
- Client side maintenance
- Because the repertoire of facilities a literate programming tool
could provide are huge, upgrades must be easy to install,
must not compromise client configuration, and must remain largely
compatible with sources already developed by interscript.
- Third party development
- Interscript must provide third party development opportunities.
This is essential when required functionality is certain
to be highly deviant, and also very specific.