Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: watmath!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!torn!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!csi!sam
From: sam@csi.jpl.nasa.gov (Sam Sirlin)
Subject: Re: FAQ please
Message-ID: <1993Jan19.013722.9543@csi.jpl.nasa.gov>
Originator: sam@kalessin
Sender: usenet@csi.jpl.nasa.gov (Network Noise Transfer Service)
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Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
References:  <abalje47.727219664@ursa>
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1993 01:37:22 GMT
Lines: 28


In article <abalje47.727219664@ursa>, abalje47@ursa.calvin.edu (Alan Baljeu) writes:
|> Is there one hiding somewhere? In particular, I want
|> to know what symbols are commonly used for what in
|> APL today.  I have access to only older books that describe
|> how you use overstriking, and how the keyboard was specifically designed
|> for APL.  What's the current notation?

I've posted the FAQ, but I'm not sure it'll help you. Current APL
symbols are pretty much what you've read about. Many implementations
define common overstrikes on various (non-standard) keys. Lots of new
stuff has been defined since the early days, some standard (like
format) some sort of standard (external files) and some non-standard
(boxes etc). But the basic symbol set hasn't changed. Lots of fonts
for most everything you can name are available somewhere, including
TeX and X11. Many and various systems of transliteration of APL
symbols into ordinary printable ASCII have been promulgated by many
(including me).

The largest departure is J, which doesn't use special symbols at all
yet still manages to be completely undecipherable and terifying to the
non-initiate! But after all magic is always percieved as only advanced
technology to those embedded in the technology.

-- 
Sam Sirlin
Jet Propulsion Laboratory         sam@kalessin.jpl.nasa.gov

