Frequently Asked Questions

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8. Programming GAP

8.1: Can I call GAP functions from another programme?

The short answer is no. To explain a little more fully, essentially all the algebraic functionality of the GAP system is written in the GAP language, and so needs the GAP interpreter to run. The interpreter is written in C, but does not coexist happily with other code in the same process for a number of reasons, so there is no sensible way to link GAP into a C, Java or other program as a subroutine library.

What you can do is to run GAP in a child process and communicate with it using pipes, pseudo-ttys, UNIX FIFOs or some similar device. We have done this successfully in a number of projects, and you can contact the support list for more detailed advice if you want to go down this route.