ASTRA is an agent programming language that is built on and integrated with the Java Programming Language. ASTRA is an implementation of AgentSpeak(TR) – a logic-based agent programming language that combines AgentSpeak(L) (implementation based on Jason) with Teleo-Reactive functions.

The key design objectives in the design of ASTRA are:

• to minimise the gap between ASTRA and Java;
• to deliver an agent language with a reduced learning curve;
• to promote integration with other technologies; and
• to enable effective reuse of ASTRA code.

In contrast with many other agent programming languages, we have intentionally not provided a debugger for ASTRA. We believe that this is not an oversight, but a feature because it is our view that debuggers can actually hinder understanding of code (especially for novice developers) and increase the perceived complexity of a language rather that aiding the developer to understand the language. As a result, we promote the adoption of more traditional approaches to debugging (console printouts and logging tools).

NOTE: Our above view does not discount the use of debugging tools. Instead, we prioritise more traditional techniques over the immediate use of debuggers