Author: Hessam Mehr
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Reactive and dataflow programs using SQLite — Part 3: Reacting to data changes
In part 2, we explored parallels between SQL and Prolog and saw how to use a view like a logic query, that is, to ask questions that always use the most up-to-date inputs. In this part, we’ll introduce a new piece called triggers, which is the SQL way of running an action in response to…
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A sounding board for future chemistry: Sound Chemistry retrospect
Earlier this month I organised my first research workshop. Why did it seem like a good idea; what were the main ideas behind the workshop; and how did it go? Let me share the answers to these questions while my memory is still fresh. Fellow scientist will be familiar with the perks of our job,…
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The “optimiser” paper: Mapping out a path between optimisation and discovery
Our latest collaborative output with the Cronin group, codenamed “Chemputer Optimiser” is out in Nature Communications. Work on this paper started many years ago while I was still a post-doc in the Cronin group, and continued throughout the pandemic. As expected with an open-ended project like this, we had to stop many times and ask…
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Reactive and dataflow programs using SQLite — Part 2: Prolog as a database
Update: Code blocks on this post are now live. you can edit and run them thanks to the wonderful Codapi and CodeMirror projects, running locally in your browser via WASM. In this second post we will look at the parallels between logic programming and databases, and between views in a relational database and reactive programs.…
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Reactive and dataflow programs using SQLite — Part 1: A bit of background
tldr: Using views and triggers (interfacing with a host runtime like Python), it is possible to implement a neat reactive/dataflow system in plain old SQLite. Inputs like events and user data are continuously transformed to outputs like commands using relational logic. We take a look at how easy it is to build a small example…