Re: Reverse engineering - confirmed for version 3!
Subject: Re: Reverse engineering - confirmed for version 3!
From: Harry Binswanger <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:23:50 -0400
I'm working with Claude right now to get the contours of how we might do something like this.
On Tue, Mar 3, 2026 at 3:01 PM Carl Distefano <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Kari,
> As for making new versions on current software platforms, I would
> not base them on assembly code. [...] However, good modern editors
> abound (and open-source codebases for such programs are available
> for that matter),
I agree that the way forward, long-term, would be to port the assembly codeurce. That would lay the foundation for a next-generation word-processor with modern features such as Unicode support, the ability to toggle among theundo, and so forth. But it would also allow for backward compatibility withtoggle between "expanded" (markup) and formatted views, and four decades' worth of XPL-based customizations -- something that no existing modern editor can offer. A castle in Spain? Perhaps, but as Harry says:
> The answer to our prayers might be AI.
We're not there yet, certainly, but who knows? AI is advancing fast, and it may not be long before it's capable of taking a blueprint written in assembly code and turning out something recognizable as XyWrite but with
--
Carl Distefano cld@xxxxxxxxxx