Prolog vs procedural backtracking

Backtracking algorithms try to solve problems by generating and testing a set of possible solutions. Typically, there are some points in the execution of a backtracking algorithm where execution can proceed in more than one way. Such points are called choice points. Backtrack technique has been incorporated into variants of many high level languages, mostly procedural languages, such as Pascal, Fortran and LISP. Also, backtracking is one of the major features of Prolog. A programming language with has built-in support for backtracking algorithms is called a backtracking language. Typically its semantics recognise success or failure of execution, and it supports programming of choice points. It hides details about how choices are made at choice points, how to backtrack, and how to resume the previous state. Backtracking languages find wide application in artificial intelligence algorithms. We compare the backtracking mechanisms of Prolog and other backtracking programming languages, and present a new backtracking language.<>