All,
As you're all aware, I no longer contribute to the Forums (though I would if
there were some interface other than email), but I do track the messages from
time to time, and I check out the wiki for information about new releases and
changes.
I am sending this because I very much want and need to congratulate Henry and
everyone else involved in the innovation in the core language over the last few
years.
I learned today that the original §F trains table has been restored (!!!), that
name_: has been introduced for self-effacing names, and soon we're getting /..,
which executes the verb argument dyadically, with the key-value as the left
argument. I'm also enthusiastic about the upcoming T./t., which I think
addresses a core concern many interested parties might otherwise have about our
little language.
These are all both fundamental and incredibly useful innovations, particularly
for we in the fully-fixed functional faction (F^4; hi Pepe!), and I am grateful
for them.
Not even to mention the other, less-recent innovations like F. or {{}} or
semiduals or gerund" or : being smarter about valences -- or even outside the
language proper -- the full support of a dedicated online J Playground, so both
novices who want to dip toes without installing software, and dedicated users
on new devices without J installed, can use the language to its full advantage.
Even things which you might consider tiny, like allowing else. after an elseif.
or introducing the caret (^) in error messages, as opposed to the old "add
extra spaces", are a significant user-experience improvement.
These are all things I've wanted for many years, and some of the solutions
(e.g. introducing a new primitive for /..) would never have occurred to me, as
much time and mental energy I've spent on the language over the years.
My deepest congratulations and thanks.
-Dan
PS: Sorry, I'm unlikely to respond directly to follow-ups on this message,
because I use my phone more than my laptop, and I'm having some trouble with my
personal email on my phone right now. But if you want to talk to me, you can
find me at @notcalledjack on twitter, and we can exchange more contact details
that way, if anyone prefers a different channel.
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