> So, the question is, how often do you need to say
> "all arrays other than atoms"?  My guess is, not
> very often.  Less often in J than in APL with
> the concept of prefix agreement in J.

Not often, I agree.  But I have a few phrases that I
think every J programmer would do well to commit to
memory, and one of those is

  An array is a list of its items.

which unfortunately isn't true of an atom.  So now
I have to water down the phrase.  Ecch.

The phrases suggested so far are accurate but lack zip.

Since atom = 'a-' not + 'tom' divide , i. e. that which cannot
be divided, I could just use 'tom' to refer to a
non-atomic/composite/higher-order array.  That has zip.
But no one would understand, and like Roger says, this is
not a frequent-enough need to introduce a new term for.

Henry Rich

----------------------------------------------------------------------
For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm

Reply via email to