Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: watmath!ljdickey
From: ljdickey@watmath.waterloo.edu (L. J. Dickey)
Subject: Re: difference between j and apl?
Message-ID: <1992Feb14.132335.13460@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Organization: University of Waterloo
References: <aet.698051592@ee.mu.OZ.AU>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1992 13:23:35 GMT
Lines: 38

In article <aet.698051592@ee.mu.OZ.AU> aet@ee.mu.OZ.AU (bert thompson) writes:

>	i will be using apl in a maths subject soon and i want to know if
>	it'd be worthwhile to switch to j.
>	i have some acquaintance with apl but none with j.

See the article "what_is.j" availble by anonymous ftp from
watserv1.waterloo.edu.  Look in the directory  ~/languages/apl/j  .

I think that the idea of function rank, in which every function (verb)
acts in a predictable way on all objects in first dimension in a uniform
way is a revolutionary one.  Everyone says, "Aha! Of course, why
didn't it get done that way the first time?"

J uses no special characters.
No need for special screen handling code (a deterrant to portability).
No need for special printing routines (a deterrant to portability).
J runs on a wide range of systems.  
J code is portable across a wide range of systems.  
J has complex numbers.
J has some advanced language features: hook, fork, new adverbs.

I know that this answer only raises more questions.
Yes, there is reason to look at j.

Lee Dickey

-- 
Leroy J. Dickey, Faculty of Mathematics, U of Waterloo, Canada  N2L 3G1
Internet:      ljdickey@watmath.UWaterloo.ca
UUCP:          ljdickey@watmath.UUCP


-- 
Leroy J. Dickey, Faculty of Mathematics, U of Waterloo, Canada  N2L 3G1
Internet:      ljdickey@watmath.UWaterloo.ca
UUCP:          ljdickey@watmath.UUCP

