Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: watmath!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!watserv1!70530.1226@compuserve.com
From: Mike Kent <70530.1226@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Re: Re:  What is an APL language?
Message-ID: <921118054415_70530.1226_DHP44-1@CompuServe.COM>
Sender: daemon@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 05:44:16 GMT

>> ...  Here's how it's done with APL:
>>
>>    a <- +/ 10 34 14 12 22 66 99 44 11 21 94
>>
>>(and so on)  This gives the "average" or "mean" of the numbers.
>
>
>this was an unfortunate example to use.
>
>in mathematica ...

And in LISP

   (div((plus list)(length list))) 

calculates an average.

While it's true that the handling of arrays as coherent entities
distinguishes APL from mainstream, sclar-oriented languages like FORTRAN
[pre 9x], COBOL, C et al., what seems to distinguish APL from other
applicative languages is the centrality of arrays, and in particular the
rich set of manipulative and extractive functions which produce new
arrays from old without explicit recalculation of item values.  To a
degree not possible in most other languages, APL is "about" shape, rank,
and lately depth --





