Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: watmath!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!mach1!torn!csd.unb.ca!Gateway.UNB.ca
From:     Jeff Richards <jeff@AESYVR1.PWC.AES.DOE.CA>
Sender:   APL Language Discussion <APL-L@UNBVM1.BITNET>
Reply-To: Jeff Richards <jeff@AESYVR1.PWC.AES.DOE.CA>
Subject:  Re: APL2 vs VSAPL
Message-ID: <9304071952.AA04015@unb.ca>
Organization: UofNB News Gateway, Fredericton, CANADA
Date:     Wed, 7 Apr 1993 11:38:54 PDT

>
> From: jeff@math.uchicago.edu (Jeff Adler)
> -----------------------------------------
>
> I am most familiar with the mainframe situation, and will assume
> that the PC situation is broadly similar.
>
> The short answer is that APL2 is to VSAPL as VSAPL is to BASIC.
> Much of the hoop-jumping that you have to do in VSAPL is unnecessary
> in APL2.  There are three main features that distinguish VSAPL and APL2
> (actually, there are more, but some of the others might not yet be
> available on the PC):
>
> 1. generalized arrays
> 2. user-defined operators
> 3. user-defined functions as operands to operators.
>

This question is probably dumb, but what would be the significant difference
in being able to define an operator(your item #2) as opposed to defining a
function the old way.  I gather you're meaning that you can assign a symbol
on the keyboard to the function, but is there something of greater meaning
behind this.  I mean I could define a function RIGHTBRACE or use "}" but is
there more than this to it?

Otherwise your reply intrigues me to no end.  I've been told that IBM offers
something called TRYAPL2 which I'm going to have a peek at(a kind soul at
IBM has offered to send me an order form).  That'll probably let me see what
it's like before I shell out $$$.

Basically though, it sounds like I've been out of circulation for a while in
the world of APL.  I'd never heard of generalized arrays(<drool> <slobber>).

Does APL2 still rely solely on the Branch operator for flow of control or have
they added anything along the structured line of programming to the language?

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