C++ provides a number of features that make it possible to define a
much more natural and concise interface to dynamically typed languages
than plain C does. Using programmable type-conversion (casting),
native data-types can be translated automatically into appropriate
Prolog types, automatic destructors can be used to deal with most of the
cleanup required and C++ exception handling can be used to map Prolog
exceptions and interface conversion errors to C++ exceptions, which are
automatically mapped to Prolog exceptions as control is turned back to
Prolog.
Competing interfaces
Volker Wysk has defined an alternative C++ mapping based on templates
and compatible to the STL framework. See
http://www.volker-wysk.de/swiprolog-c++/index.html.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Anjo Anjewierden for comments on the
definition, implementation and documentation of this package.
