Every programming language which I have mastered, I have read a reference manual for at least once.
In languages which I dabble, I have not bothered - but I do not use those much, either. (Generally speaking, if a language reference manual is not something I can obtain cheaply, I have ignored the language. COBOL probably being the first example of this.) Mind you, it takes quite a long time to *digest* a language reference. I probably took a two or three years working through J's dictionary (maybe half an hour a day and lots of naps), but that's a different issue. Thanks, -- Raul On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 5:46 PM, Jose Mario Quintana <[email protected]> wrote: >> 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
