Introduction

Key links: Releases | Install and Run Guide | User Guide

Run-REDUCE is a Graphical User Interface (see the screen shot below) for running the REDUCE Computer Algebra System. It is implemented in JavaFX and should provide a consistent user experience across all implementations of REDUCE and all platforms (that support JavaFX). Self-contained installers are available on the releases page for Windows and Gnu/Linux. Alternatively, and for other platforms, a Java JAR file is available.

REDUCE itself is an open source project available from SourceForge, which you need to install separately. Run-REDUCE is designed to run a standard installation of REDUCE; it does not include REDUCE.

Full information about how to install and run Run-REDUCE is available in the Install and Run Guide. For information about how to use Run-REDUCE please see the User Guide (which is also included in Run-REDUCE and easily accessible via the Help menu). Known issues are listed at the end of the Install and Run Guide.

(The screen shot below relates to an earlier release and is now a little out of date!)

Run-REDUCE is still under development but here are the key features that it currently provides:

• Commands to run REDUCE that are fully configurable but default to running CSL and PSL REDUCE as appropriate for the standard distributions.
• A REDUCE input/output display pane that scrolls in both directions as necessary. Its contents can be printed, saved to a file and/or erased.
• Optional typeset-style display of mathematical output.
• A multi-line input editing pane that also scrolls in both directions as necessary. Previous input is remembered and can be scrolled through, edited and re-input. A final terminator is normally added automatically if appropriate when input is sent to REDUCE.
• Optional split or tabbed panes running independent REDUCE sessions.
• Menu items to handle REDUCE file input/output and load standard REDUCE packages, similar to the facilities provided by the CSL REDUCE GUI.
• Optional bold prompts and coloured input/output text (similar to redfront but determined by the input mode – algebraic or symbolic).
• Templates to construct structured expressions and statements.
• A pop-up keyboard to access symbolic constants, Greek letters and elementary functions.
• Dialogues to access standard mathematical functions using conventional notation.
• Easy access to the Run-REDUCE User Guide, the standard documentation distributed with REDUCE as HTML or PDF files, the REDUCE web site and the SourceForge REDUCE project site.

Francis Wright, October 2023