How many hours did I spend reading the Dictionary while sitting on the toilet?
On Thu, Dec 14, 2017 at 4:27 PM, Jose Mario Quintana < [email protected]> wrote: > :D > > I probably understood half of the entry descriptions I read originally > because I have a very short attention span, I moved on and jumped > frequently to the examples which helped me a lot in conjunction with some > experimentation with the interpreter, which is ultimately the one that > matters (to me) because is the one that produces results. > > > On Thu, Dec 14, 2017 at 3:35 AM, Erling Hellenäs <[email protected] > > > wrote: > > > For me manuals have always been the first resort. When you read it you > > know more than anyone else about the language, because noone else read it > > :) The only exception is the J manual, which I find totally unreadable. > > /Erling > > > > > > > > Den 2017-12-13 kl. 23:46, skrev Jose Mario Quintana: > > > >> I am surprised how many people have not read the reference manual - > >>> not just in the J community but among technical people in general. > >>> > >>> I really don't know what to make of this. > >>> > >> This, to me, is akin to wondering why many people, particularly young > >> children, can communicate orally fairly well in a language even when > they > >> have not studied its grammar. > >> > >> On the one hand, I write J tacitly the same way I speak, almost always > >> without consciously thinking about grammar rules. On the other hand, I > >> learned J, a long time ago, by reading the Dictionary (which is not a > >> recommended way to learn it) and simultaneously experimenting with the > >> interpreter (which is definitely recommended). > >> > >> I wish I had the time to read the Dictionary again in its entirety. > Yet, > >> I > >> still remember fondly the answer of a brilliant boss of mine when I > >> suggested we should look at one particular reference manual: "Are you > >> kidding? Manuals are the last resort!" > >> > >> :) > >> > >> > >> On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 8:39 AM, Raul Miller <[email protected]> > >> wrote: > >> > >> On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 3:46 AM, Erling Hellenäs > >>> <[email protected]> wrote: > >>> > >>>> I doubt you can find reasonably accurate descriptions of this > >>>> > >>> functionality > >>> > >>>> (these four helper programs) anywhere else. > >>>> > >>> This suggests to me that you have not read > >>> > >>> http://www.jsoftware.com/help/dictionary/dictb.htm > >>> nor > >>> http://www.jsoftware.com/help/dictionary/dicta.htm > >>> > >>> I am surprised how many people have not read the reference manual - > >>> not just in the J community but among technical people in general. > >>> > >>> I really don't know what to make of this. > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Raul > >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > >>> > >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > >> > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
