Good idea about "the" initial cap. I've just had an experience of explaining adverbs, esp. the "insert" `/` (btw it works better as a simpler "insert" concept rather then APL "reduce").
So the meaning that "insert" introduces, with `+` as an example, is that of the distinction between "plus" (addition) and "sum". That is, by saying "sum" instead of "plus", we already imply "insert". (Sometimes to emphasize a series operation, "total" may be used). Same for "times" and "product"; "lesser of" and "minimum" etc. I think we could start collecting these in the Wiki, under something like (J) Vernacular. As for top down for writing, I just did an experiment, of http://mathworld.wolfram.com/QuadraticEquation.html by just typing it in, as I read: With '`a b c X'=: (0&{)`(1&{)`(2&{)`(2&{) we have x=: ([: -b (+,-) [: %: *:@b - 4*a*c) % 2*a to verify, quadratic term c from a, b, x qc=: [: - (a * *:@X) + b*X qc 2 _10 1 8 x 2 _10 8 1 4 qc 2 _10 2 12 x 2 _10 12 We note that the use of the article `[:` is induced by monadics. Additional, parentheses are due to J precedence. Otherwise, it's quite natural. --- Ewart Shaw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Tue, 11 Apr 2006, Oleg Kobchenko wrote: > > > That's an interesting point: vocalizing forks and hooks. > >... > > Now with that convention, we read > > f=: [: %: [: +/ *: > > f is root of sum of squares. > > I find reading (or writing) a train easier after appending "of" > to most monadic verbs: > f =: [: %: [: +/ *: > "f is the root_of the (sum over) squares" > > Reading "the" for [: has been mentioned on the forum before, > and "sum over" for +/ is a nice colloquialism! > > Reading & writing J left-to-right is a (Dijkstra approved?) > top-down approach - mainly used by myself to find out the > "real" meaning of the verb I've just created right-to-left! > > -- Ewart Shaw > > J.E.H.Shaw [Ewart Shaw] [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEL: +44 2476 523069 > Department of Statistics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK > http://www.warwick.ac.uk/statsdept http://www.ewartshaw.co.uk > Timeo programmerii et screwdriverii ferentes __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
