<s>
Alma-0	B-Language
is	O
a	O
multi-paradigm	O
computer	O
programming	O
language	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
language	O
is	O
an	O
augmented	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
imperative	B-Application
Modula-2	B-Language
language	I-Language
with	O
logic-programming	O
features	O
and	O
convenient	O
backtracking	B-Algorithm
ability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
small	O
,	O
strongly	O
typed	O
,	O
and	O
combines	O
constraint	B-Application
programming	I-Application
,	O
a	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
features	O
inspired	O
by	O
logic	B-Language
programming	I-Language
and	O
supports	O
imperative	B-Application
paradigms	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
language	O
advocates	O
declarative	B-Language
programming	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
designers	O
claim	O
that	O
search-oriented	O
solutions	O
built	O
with	O
it	O
are	O
substantially	O
simpler	O
than	O
their	O
counterparts	O
written	O
in	O
purely	O
imperative	B-Application
or	O
logic	B-Language
programming	I-Language
style	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alma-0	B-Language
provides	O
natural	O
,	O
high-level	O
constructs	O
for	O
building	O
search	O
trees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
designers	O
of	O
Alma-0	B-Language
wanted	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
distinct	O
and	O
substantially	O
simpler	O
proposal	O
than	O
prior	O
attempts	O
to	O
integrate	O
declarative	B-Language
programming	I-Language
constructs	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
automatic	O
backtracking	B-Algorithm
)	O
into	O
imperative	B-Application
programming	I-Application
,	O
the	O
design	O
of	O
Alma-0	B-Language
was	O
guided	O
by	O
four	O
principles	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Alma-0	B-Language
can	O
be	O
viewed	O
not	O
only	O
as	O
a	O
specific	O
and	O
concrete	O
programming	O
language	O
proposal	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
as	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
a	O
generic	O
method	O
for	O
extending	O
any	O
imperative	B-Application
programming	I-Application
language	I-Application
with	O
features	O
that	O
support	O
declarative	B-Language
programming	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
feasibility	O
of	O
the	O
Alma-0	B-Language
approach	O
has	O
been	O
demonstrated	O
through	O
a	O
full	O
implementation	O
of	O
the	O
language	O
(	O
including	O
a	O
description	O
of	O
its	O
semantics	O
)	O
for	O
a	O
subset	O
of	O
Modula-2	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
implemented	O
features	O
in	O
Alma-0	B-Language
include	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Unification	B-Algorithm
which	O
,	O
although	O
limited	O
to	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
equality	O
as	O
assignment	O
,	O
yields	O
a	O
new	O
parameter-passing	O
mechanism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Alma-0	B-Language
designers	O
claim	O
that	O
the	O
assignment	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
usually	O
shunned	O
in	O
pure	O
declarative	B-Language
and	O
logic	B-Language
programming	I-Language
,	O
is	O
actually	O
needed	O
in	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
natural	O
situations	O
,	O
including	O
for	O
counting	O
and	O
recording	O
purposes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
affirm	O
that	O
the	O
means	O
of	O
expression	O
of	O
such	O
"	O
natural	O
"	O
uses	O
of	O
assignment	O
within	O
the	O
logic	B-Language
programming	I-Language
paradigm	O
are	O
unnatural	O
.	O
</s>
