Thanks Roger, I had been thinking about using + (plus) as well because it can generalize as a template to other arithmetic 0 rank dyadic verbs. Your examples provide a starting point for the concepts. I'll see what I can come up with.
Thanks for the information that = (self classify) may not be the most efficient approach for the machine, but pedagogically there may be conceptual advantages to giving the learner a single step solution, compared to the i.~ which would require an explanation of adverbs as well. Once again I am finding the fastest way to learn is to teach (or attempt to teach ;) ) cheers, bob On -Feb2-2010, at -Feb2-20109:47 AM, Roger Hui wrote: >> Take a J primitive which is relatively simple but maybe hard for a >> beginner to intuit, like monadic "=" (self-classify). Not something >> with bells and whistles like ";:". Personally I'd like to see an >> animation of self-classify, because coming from APL I'm still not >> altogether comfy with it in my own mind. > > Use + (plus). It'd be so "obvious" that the viewer/reader > would think "How else would you have it?" > > 2 + 3 > 5 > > 2 + 3 4 5 > 5 6 7 > 20 30 10 + 7 > 27 37 17 > > 20 30 10 + 3 4 5 > 23 34 15 > 20 30 + 3 4 5 > |length error > | 20 30 +3 4 5 > > i. 3 4 > 0 1 2 3 > 4 5 6 7 > 8 9 10 11 > > 2 + i.3 4 > 2 3 4 5 > 6 7 8 9 > 10 11 12 13 > 20 40 60 + i.3 4 > 20 21 22 23 > 44 45 46 47 > 68 69 70 71 > (i.3 4) + 100 200 19 > 100 101 102 103 > 204 205 206 207 > 27 28 29 30 > 20 40 60 80 + i.3 4 > |length error > | 20 40 60 80 +i.3 4 > > (i.3 4) + (10 + i.3 4) > 10 12 14 16 > 18 20 22 24 > 26 28 30 32 > > p.s. I believe that the current monadic = is not one of > the better verbs in J. The representation is wasteful, being > approximately O(n^2), and if the representation is wasteful > then the implementation is necessarily wasteful. > For self-classification i.~ is much better. Moreover, the "key" adverb > (not available at the time the monad = was first defined) > has made a self-classification verb much less needed. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ian Clark <earthspo...@googlemail.com> > Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 8:59 > Subject: Re: [Jprogramming] The Ambiguous Dictionary > To: Programming forum <programming@jsoftware.com> > >> URL embedding is something I must leave to others. I'd be starting >> from cold as regards Moinmoin. Maybe we should simply fall back on >> html? Remind me why we need anything fancier. >> >> Voice-over I have strong feelings against. Distracting, ineffective >> and culturally dependent. Traditional and reassuring maybe, but only >> in your own mother tongue, accent and mannerisms. Nothing going for >> it. >> >> And I say that as an ex-lecturer (and courseware developer). >> >> Use soothing music. It's only wallpaper. And then only in a YouTube >> showcase, not in a serious expository text. >> >> The same goes for moving text, or "titles" as I think movie makers >> call them. Only good for identifying the footage, like a >> clapper-board. The effort to read it can distract the viewer >> from the >> object you want him/her to attend to. There will always be >> accompanying text. I think the purpose of animation in technical >> exposition is to convey spatial concepts non-verbally. Therefore >> verbiage is nothing but a distraction. >> >> I like your use of coloured dots. It conveys succintly that the >> content of a given cell doesn't matter: just the interplay between >> cells. If you use numbers, or even letters, the viewer wastes >> brain-cycles processing these before grasping they are of no >> importance. If you need more modal dimensions: shape and size. As >> regards shape, chicks and tadpoles may be slightly better than squares >> and circles, but one must balance being boring against being >> distracting. I'd err on the "boring" side to start with, and >> spice-up >> judiciously. People assume animations have got to be Loony >> Toons. But >> someone prepared to consider programming in any language, let >> alone J, >> needs an attention-span longer than a 5 year old TV watcher. >> >> The viewer may have to study the animation for quite some time to >> absorb its principle. Eye candy soon gets irritating. See the >> "grasshopper escapement" animation, halfway down in >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harrison -and work out how it >> manages to be friction-free. Jiminy Cricket would soon begin to grate. >> >> Further to that example, I think continuous animation loops are good. >> (Though it's nice to be able to stop 'em!) >> >> Take a J primitive which is relatively simple but maybe hard for a >> beginner to intuit, like monadic "=" (self-classify). Not something >> with bells and whistles like ";:". Personally I'd like to see an >> animation of self-classify, because coming from APL I'm still not >> altogether comfy with it in my own mind. >> >> And remember the better it conveys its message, the more trivial and >> "obvious" it looks and the less time the viewer spends looking >> at it. >> It's why writers of public notices are always too pompous and prolix: >> they don't want to appear dumb. It's really quite unrewarding >> work, in >> a way. >> >> Ian >> >> >> On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 5:56 AM, bob therriault >> <bobtherria...@mac.com> wrote: >>> Thanks for the review, Ian >>> >>> It definitely needs to be sped up and, although music could be >> added, it was going to be finished with a voice over and sound >> effects. I hadn't got around to final version, but when I read >> Oleg's comment about animation, I exported the 'work in >> progress' to YouTube. YouTube does provide a string for >> embedding, but I didn't think it would work within an email. >>> >>> I would be happy to work on animations as they were needed for >> specific primitives. My experience says that there is a certain >> level of fundamental understanding that is required before >> animations are really effective, before that they tend towards >> eye-candy (or worse misleading). If you have a primitive in mind >> let me know and we can go through some iterations to see how >> productive we are. >>> >>> Cheers, bob >>> >>> ps. you can put videos into J labs as well, by using the >> jbrowser file and calling specific URL's hiding it within the >> PREPARE section. >>> eg. >>> PREPARE >>> launch_jbrowser_ 'http://www.apple.com/ca/ipodtouch/what- >> is/pocket-computer.html' >>> PREPARE >>> It has been a while since I have done this and the result is >> that a whole browser window will open, but when refined this may >> have some possibilities. I'm not as sure how this will work with >> the new browser interface. bt >>> >>> On -Feb1-2010, at -Feb1-20106:43 PM, Ian Clark wrote: >>> >>>> I like it, Bob. >>>> >>>> The minimalism may arise from it being a first effort, but it shows >>>> it's neither necessary nor wise to over-egg the pudding. >>>> >>>> Minor crits: could do with being sped up. Needs music. >> YouTube has a >>>> library of free soundtracks: you can just attach one for now. >>>> >>>> YouTube movies can be easily embedded in your own html file. >> Stefano & >>>> I have done it. They generate you an <object> to >> copy/paste. See >>>> source of http://www.maxclark.me.uk/undeadtree/interspex.htm >> for an >>>> example. >>>> >>>> But how to do it with MoinMoin? >>>> >>>> So... are you offering to do a 15 second movie for each J >> primitive?>> >>>> Ian >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 10:08 PM, bob therriault >> <bobtherria...@mac.com> wrote: >>>>> Hi Oleg and Ian, >>>>> >>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODxv498p4ME >>>>> >>>>> This isn't about a specific function, but is an animation i >> put together to explain why it is useful to organize information >> into arrays. I developed it on keynote, but haven't yet put a >> soundtrack to it. It's not really high end, but it wasn't too >> hard to put together either. Let me know if you have more >> specific ideas for animations. >>>>> >>>>> Cheers, bob >>>>> >>>>> On -Feb1-2010, at -Feb1-201012:50 PM, Oleg Kobchenko wrote: >>>>> >>>>>>> From: Ian Clark <earthspo...@googlemail.com> >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> One winning instructional strategy, including Gilman and Rose, >>>>>>>> is telling a story for each piece of material. Such stories, >>>>>>>> among other things, may revolve around exo-paradigms. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> When I used to program in FORTH (sign of a mis-spent >> youth) one >>>>>>> well-beloved primer in the FORTH community was illustrated with >>>>>>> engaging but instructive cartoons. Thus the standard word >> SWOP was a >>>>>>> little two-headed dragon that did what you'd guess with >> objects on the >>>>>>> stack. Can anyone remember the book and remind me of its title? >>>>>> >>>>>> Starting FORTH, by Leo Brodie >>>>>> >>>>>> http://www.forth.com/starting-forth/sf2/sf2.html >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> This is fun stuff all right. And a good read for a vacation. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> What I was thinking for APL/J for a long time was >>>>>> an interactive or animated illustrator of the operations, >>>>>> especially those that manipulate multidimensional and >>>>>> nested structures. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> I know someone (http://www.leelamaria.com/) who could do >> us a wodge of >>>>>>> cartoons like that. Shall I try to get them interested? > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
