Thanks! On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 11:12 PM, Bill Harris < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > "Mattia Landoni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > I am an economist and I discovered J a few days ago. I haven't been so > > excited since when I was 13 and Santa brought me an 8-bit Nintendo > > Entertainment System. Yet before taking a week off from work to study J > > (just kidding) I would like to be sure it does everything I need. Here > are > > Mattia, > > Welcome! I understand the excitement. > > While I've been using J for quite a while, I'm not nearly as > accomplished as some here, but I can answer a few of your questions. > > > Data Management > > - I import data from several sources. Not always are they in > straightforward > > formats. Are there libraries or built-in function to import text (e.g. > .csv, > > .tab, fixed format) and non-text (e.g. Excel, 1-2-3) data? > > Sure. See, for example, http://jsoftware.com/jwiki/Interfaces . The > Excel section covers Tara (perhaps the most full-featured Excel > interface), csv (quite easy to use), and more. Text Files covers more > of what you seek. > > There's also http://www.jsoftware.com/help/user/libraries.htm from the > User Manual (also part of the download). > > > - (*) I often merge datasets (sort of SQL join). The other day I saw > that it > > is possible to embed a database (SQLite) through a library. Are there > > interfaces to other databases? I usually use MySQL (last time I checked > > SQLite did not implement enough SQL for my purposes - that was probably > 2 > > years ago). Are there in-built functions to perform similar operations? > > (although I'd be very happy to do all the merging in SQL). > > Perhaps http://jsoftware.com/jwiki/DB will be of help. > > > Learning > > - What's the fastest way to learn the basics for a greedy person who > learns > > the average C-like programming language in a week? Normally what I do is > to > > learn "what can be done" and then start programming right away with a > > reference at hand. Here it does not seem so simple... right? > > There are lots of approaches. I like treating it as if it were a > natural language: speak it with a native speaker (the J interpreter), > and see what sort of interesting conversations you can carry on. > Eventually -- not that long -- you'll begin to be able to carry on > useful conversations (write useful programs). For that purpose, check > out the J Primer (part of the download, also available at > http://jsoftware.com/jwiki/System/Documentation). > > You may also like the two other books that come with J: _Learning J_ and > _J for C Programmers_. > > In any case, I think one learns best by reading and doing at the same > time, not by reading without a computer keyboard at the ready. > > Don't forget to check out the labs and demos in J (in the Studio menu). > > Oh, and subscribe to the J Programming forum. People there are quite > helpful. > > I suspect you won't /learn/ (all of) J in a week (perhaps in a life), > but I imagine you'll be doing quite a few impressive things pretty > quickly. > > Bill > - -- > Bill Harris http://facilitatedsystems.com/weblog/ > Facilitated Systems Everett, WA 98208 USA > http://facilitatedsystems.com/ phone: +1 425 337-5541 > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32) > Comment: For more information, see http://www.gnupg.org > > iD8DBQFH8Fab3J3HaQTDvd8RAoFlAJ0QYvdWpJ/F+P0StgKij/rn0xefEQCeKCdA > m5UlwQrJBDcVjBB6X4MXcho= > =v/jm > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > -- Mattia Landoni 1201 S Eads St Apt 417 Arlington, VA 22202-2837 USA Greenwich -5 hours Office: +1 202 62 35922 Cell: +1 202 492 3404 Home: +1 360 968 1684 Govern a great country as you would fry a small fish: do not poke at it too much. -- Lao Tzu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
