Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature"

From	jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature"
Date	2015-11-22 00:09 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<n2qter$ans$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(8 earlier) <564bb01d.28348875@news.xs4all.nl> <db1q8uF9f88U1@mid.individual.net> <n2ge2c$u0a$1@dont-email.me> <n2i32m$vhf$1@dont-email.me> <lnegfngt2m.fsf@kst-u.example.com>

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Le 18/11/2015 17:39, Keith Thompson a écrit :

> Just as you can write Fortran in any language, you can write APL in any
> language.
>

Yes, I have been doing it for decades. APL brought array processing into 
view. In APL everything is an array (like in Lisp lists)

It doesn't use any human language to communicate orders to the machine 
but a symbolic language with a very simple syntax and precedence rules 
using greek symbols. (iota, nabla, and other composed symbols like +/ 
for reduction.

APL was an incredible innovative language at the end of the seventies. 
An incorporated debugger, and a concise syntax allowed you to create big 
systems with very few keystrokes and effort. We had in 1980 at STSC an 
"Excel" like system but MUCH more sophisticated than what Excel will 
ever be. "Quickcalc" was called.

We had databases using EMMA (Extended Macro Management in APL), using 
the APL file system.

In APL a file system was just a series of sequential "components", that 
could contain  anything. Complex APL objects and hierarchies could be 
stored with simple commands.

We had a special APL keyboard that allowed us to write our programs, and 
special typewriter "heads" that could print them.

Yes, ignorants will scorn at APL for his famous "look": a series of 
greek symbols that look absolutely horrifying for the uninitiated.

So what?

They never understood APL. Nor do they understand it today, when they 
write nonsense like

"... you can write APL in any language".

No, Thompson, you can't.

jacob

Bibliography
[1]
A Programming language
K. Iverson. See here for a pdf of the original 1962 version.
http://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/apl/Books/APROGRAMMING%20LANGUAGE

[2] Notation as a tool of thought
K. Iversion 1979 Turin Award Lecture
http://www.jdl.ac.cn/turing/pdf/p444-iverson.pdf

Thread

Array manipulation techniques "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-11-15 09:44 +0100
  Re: Array manipulation techniques Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-11-15 01:56 -0800
    Re: Array manipulation techniques Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-15 10:43 -0800
      Re: Array manipulation techniques Chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2015-11-15 10:54 -0800
        Re: Array manipulation techniques Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-11-16 08:13 +1300
          Re: Array manipulation techniques Chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2015-11-15 12:50 -0800
        Re: Array manipulation techniques Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2015-11-15 14:07 -0600
      Re: Array manipulation techniques Barry Schwarz <schwarzb@dqel.com> - 2015-11-15 15:12 -0800
  Re: Array manipulation techniques glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-15 09:57 +0000
  Re: Array manipulation techniques Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-15 03:02 -0800
  Array manipulation techniques asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-15 12:02 -0800
    Array manipulation techniques asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-15 12:05 -0800
      Array manipulation techniques asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-15 12:28 -0800
        Re: Array manipulation techniques Chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2015-11-15 12:48 -0800
        Re: Array manipulation techniques Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-11-15 17:05 -0800
          Re: Array manipulation techniques Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-15 19:09 -0800
          Re: Array manipulation techniques asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-15 22:52 -0800
            Re: Array manipulation techniques asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-15 23:00 -0800
              Re: Array manipulation techniques Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-16 07:17 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-15 23:41 -0800
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-16 07:47 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-11-16 09:51 +0100
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-16 16:49 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-16 11:10 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-16 03:33 -0800
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-16 13:09 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-16 05:59 -0800
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-11-16 15:22 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-16 16:57 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-16 10:29 -0800
                Re: Array manipulation techniques David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-11-17 09:02 +0100
                Re: Array manipulation techniques BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-17 10:46 +0000
                Re: Array manipulation techniques Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-17 07:05 -0800
                Re: Array manipulation techniques David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-11-17 16:47 +0100
                Re: Array manipulation techniques supercat@casperkitty.com - 2015-11-17 12:33 -0800
              Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> - 2015-11-16 12:15 -0500
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-16 10:33 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-16 10:51 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-11-16 20:14 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-16 11:28 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" "Morten W. Petersen" <morphex@gmail.com> - 2015-11-17 00:20 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-11-17 10:03 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-17 08:54 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-17 20:12 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2015-11-17 23:38 -0600
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-18 08:22 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-16 20:25 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> - 2015-11-16 16:20 -0500
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-16 13:28 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-16 21:30 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-16 14:38 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-16 14:52 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-17 22:51 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-18 06:59 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-16 20:24 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-11-17 09:55 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-11-17 23:00 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-11-17 22:55 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-11-18 12:07 +1300
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-11-17 18:45 -0500
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2015-11-18 15:50 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-18 08:39 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-20 13:07 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-20 14:16 -0800
                [OT] Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-20 17:30 -0500
                Re: [OT] Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-20 19:29 -0800
                Re: [OT] Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-11-21 22:44 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" jacobnavia <jacob@jacob.remcomp.fr> - 2015-11-22 00:09 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-21 15:57 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-11-21 20:49 -0500
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Rosario19 <Ros@invalid.invalid> - 2015-11-25 10:13 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" "J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2015-11-25 18:58 -0500
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Rosario19 <Ros@invalid.invalid> - 2015-11-26 12:13 +0100
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" "J. Clarke" <j.clarke.873638@gmail.com> - 2015-11-26 07:22 -0500
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-22 14:51 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" "Charles Richmond" <numerist@aquaporin4.com> - 2015-11-23 15:53 -0600
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Malcolm McLean <malcolm.mclean5@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-18 08:55 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-18 09:17 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2015-11-18 13:19 -0500
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2015-11-20 11:32 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-20 13:17 -0800
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-21 07:08 +0000
                Re: Development Best Practices and C "nomenclature" Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-22 13:52 -0800
      Re: Array manipulation techniques Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-11-15 17:03 -0800
    Re: Array manipulation techniques Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-15 15:09 -0500
    Re: Array manipulation techniques Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2015-11-15 21:47 +0000
    Re: Array manipulation techniques Geoff <geoff@invalid.invalid> - 2015-11-15 17:02 -0800
    Re: Array manipulation techniques Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-16 10:44 -0800
      Re: Array manipulation techniques asetofsymbols@gmail.com - 2015-11-16 11:13 -0800
        Re: Array manipulation techniques Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2015-11-16 11:57 -0800
          Re: Array manipulation techniques Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2015-11-17 10:30 +1300
        Re: Array manipulation techniques Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-17 08:11 -0500
          Re: Array manipulation techniques BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-17 13:24 +0000
          Re: Array manipulation techniques Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2015-11-20 13:09 -0800
            Re: Array manipulation techniques Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-20 16:20 -0500

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