The name GiNaC is an iterated and recursive abbreviation for GiNaC is Not a CAS, where CAS stands for Computer Algebra System. It has been developed to become a replacement engine for xloops which in the past was powered by the Maple CAS. Its design is revolutionary in a sense that contrary to other CAS it does not try to provide extensive algebraic capabilities and a simple programming language but instead accepts a given language (C++) and extends it by a set of algebraic capabilities.