Chris, I think Skip is really trying to suggest a way to make it easier for 
“novice users of J” to seek and learn for themselves.

Skip’s points are actually good suggestions…/Regards Rob


> On 2 Nov 2017, at 10:39 am, chris burke <cbu...@jsoftware.com> wrote:
> 
>> 1. I had no idea about 'dirss'
> 
> dirss is part of the standard library, see
> jsoftware.com/help/user/library.htm .
> 
>> 2. I had no idea about '~addons'  - what's with the tilde??
> 
> The tilde expression is documented in
> code.jsoftware.com/wiki/Guides/Folders_and_Projects
> 
>> 3. rand11 references rand01, which requires another search, which may
> require different unknown parameters for dirss.
> 
> Why not open up the script that defines rand11 and see if it defines
> rand01? It does so, on the previous line.
> 
>> 4. ... This is a lot of knowledge required for someone just learning or
> exploring J.
> 
> The same can be said for pretty well any programming system. But long time
> users of J should be aware of these things.
> 
> 
> On Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 1:42 PM, 'Skip Cave' via Programming <
> programm...@jsoftware.com> wrote:
> 
>> Chris suggests:
>> 'rand11' dirss '~addons'
>> 
>> On my system, this results in:
>> 
>>     'rand11' dirss '~addons'
>> 
>> c:/program files/j64-805/addons/stats/base/random.ijs (2)
>> 
>> interval (0,1) NB.*rand11 v generate y rando
>> 
>> in interval (0,1) rand11=: <: @: +: @: rand01 N
>> 
>> 
>> Buried in the answer is the one-line code for rand11! Which is getting
>> closer to what I would like to see. However,
>> 
>> 
>> 1. I had no idea about 'dirss'
>> 
>> 2. I had no idea about '~addons'  - what's with the tilde??
>> 
>> 3. rand11 references rand01, which requires another search, which may
>> require different unknown parameters for dirss.
>> 
>> 4. All this assumes I knew previously that:
>> 
>>      A. I knew that the code may be on my local system.
>> 
>>      B. That I needed to install the appropriate package on my local
>> system.
>> 
>>      D. That I knew *how* to install the right package.
>> 
>>      C. That the location of rand11 was in 'addons.
>> 
>> 
>> This is a lot of knowledge required for someone just learning or exploring
>> J.
>> 
>> Luckily, I had recently installed ALL addons on my local system, so I
>> wouldn't have to guess on package names.
>> 
>> 
>> How would I know that the code for rand11 isn't even on the Jsoftware
>> website? And that I had to install a specific addon to my local machine get
>> it? It would seem to make sense that if the J interpreter code is open
>> source, with a link to the open-source J interpreter code on the Jsoftware
>> website (http://code.jsoftware.com/wiki/Git), that there would also be
>> links to the code for various addon modules written in J, on the website.
>> 
>> 
>> I guess I'm just spoiled with the effectiveness of Google search, which
>> usually gets me an answer by typing something like "where is the code for
>> rand11" in the main search bar. Why couldn't J provide the same ease of
>> access on their website?
>> 
>> 
>> Skip
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 2:37 PM, chris burke <cbu...@jsoftware.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Skip asked how to find rand11 in the J system. I would either use dirss,
>>> e.g.
>>> 
>>>   'rand11' dirss '~addons'
>>> /home/chris/j8/addons/stats/base/random.ijs (2)
>>> interval (0,1) NB.*rand11 v      generate y rando
>>> s in interval (0,1) rand11=: <: @: +: @: rand01  N
>>> 
>>> or menu Edit|Find in Files with the same result. Find in Files does
>> require
>>> that folder names be set up for locations where you want to search, e.g.
>>> define Addons as the addons directory, or the addons svn if you have that
>>> available.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 12:29 PM, 'Skip Cave' via Programming <
>>> programm...@jsoftware.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Raul said: "It might be reasonable to expect someone to use
>>>> code.jsoftware.com to
>>>> see jsoftware code?
>>>> ​"
>>>> 
>>>> It might be reasonable to expect that knowledge for someone who is
>>>> intimately familiar with the structure of ​the multiple Jsoftware
>>>> websites/wikis, but not to the average new user or curious explorer.
>> Even
>>>> if the user figures out that there are other websites associated with
>> the
>>>> Jsoftware site but not covered by the main search engine, then finds
>> the
>>>> second code website, and finds the rand11 description, the only clue to
>>> the
>>>> rand11 code's whereabouts is the cryptic psuedo-path "
>>>> Addons/stats/base/random
>>>> ​" with no indication whether this path is somewhere on the website, or
>>>> elsewhere.  Not very helpful except for very experienced ​and
>>> knowledgable
>>>> J experts.
>>>> 
>>> 
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