I still consider myself relatively new to array languages, especially when compared to the estimable members of these forums. I have learned a great deal from the languages, as well as the incredibly helpful user communities that support them.
The one thing that always chafes my ass is when I come across negative comments about array languages when reading a general interest article on the web. Here is one I came across today. http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/bitwise/2013/10/healthcare_gov_problems_what_5_million_lines_of_code_really_means.html quote from the article: On the other hand, here’s a line of APL (“A Programming Language<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APL_(programming_language)>”) > code: > (~R∈R°.×R)/R←1↓ιR > That code prints out all the prime numbers from 1 to R. APL is a > notoriously terse and nightmarish language. I have successfully avoided > ever coding in it. One single line of APL code could contain half a dozen > bugs. Clearly, this guy has never used APL, yet he has no problem dumping on it even after stating that he has avoided ever coding in it. I want to know what the origin of this negativity is? Did array'ers go around bullying programmers of other languages at conferences before I began using J? Did Ken Iverson pee in Dijkstra's coffee cup in 1968<http://www.jsoftware.com/pipermail/chat/2007-November/000633.html> ? I usually refrain from commenting on articles/posts like these, as nothing good usually comes from it, but it still irritates me that there may be some people whose first exposure to array languages may come from idiotic comments like this one. <end rant> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
