- What is Java and why Java?
Java is a comprehensive platform for software construction.
It has an emphasis on network programming (for distributed systems)
and allows the same software to run on many different kinds of
computers.
We chose Java because it provides a good solution in terms of
platform independence.
This is a major concern in the Andante project,
considering that we want both musicians and programmers
to use the system in different environments.
Moreover, Java also provides the Java Swing API, which is a solid
library for the construction of platform-independent graphical
interfaces,
and the Java Sound API, which simplifies the use of audio devices.
- What are autonomous agents?
They are computer programs that have control over
their own actions.
They exist in an execution environment
and must sense and react to changes in
this environment.
- What are mobile agents?
They are autonomous agents that exist in
computer network environment and can travel
from one host to another.
This mobility is accomplished by interrupting their execution on a host,
migrating to another host travelling through a network, and resuming
their execution on the new host.
As autonomous programs, they
can decide themselves to migrate and they may react to
changes on the host environment.
- What are musical agents?
They are mobile agents that participate in a musical
process.
They may do so by performing one or more of the following
actions:
(1) encapsulate an algorithm;
(2) interact and exchange information with other agents;
(3) interact with real musicians;
(4) interact with other non-agent programs;
(5) migrate from host to host.