Excellent point, PackRat. The rank concept is not required for a basic understanding of the primitives. Rank only intrudes when you start working on more complex data structures, or start combining primitives. Following my point that a new concept should not be introduced until it is required for explaining an example, definitions and explanations for rank of a primitive should be withheld in the description page until a more complex example requires it.
It might be best to have two advanced sections in each primitive page, which would follow after each basic monadic and dyadic description. That advanced section would introduce the concept of rank, specifically in the context of that primitive, using more examples. The triple rank indicator of that primitive could be displayed in the header of of each advanced section, hyperlinked to he general rank description page. . Great idea! Another excellent way to reduce the steepness of the J learning curve. Skip Cave . . .PackRat wrote: > Ric Sherlock wrote: > >> I've updated the greaterthan. page to show what's possible. I'm not sure >> I like it better than the previous version though. >> >> http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/Vocabulary/greaterthan./ >> > > Is there some reason that the triple rank indication at the upper right > is so "sacred" from its use in the DoJ that everyone seems to insist on > keeping it in this project? I contend that that's not useful to a > beginner because the rank of arguments are connected with the > monadic/dyadic valence and, therefore, the appropriate rank(s) ought to > be connected with the definition of each valence (as I had suggested in > a previous message). > > One way (and I stress that, since there surely are other ways) that > this might be done is to substitute the rank(s) in colored(?) boxes > where the x and y arguments would be positioned, perhaps like this: > > monadic: >. [ 0 ] > > dyadic: [ 0 ] >. [ 0 ] > > The rank(s) might be hotlinked to a definition page explaining the > various possible rank values or, perhaps using Skip Cave's tool tip > approach, the actual meaning/explanation could be linked to each rank > (and which would appear when the mouse pointer hovers over them). > > The same tool tip (or page hotlink) approach could be used in perhaps > an even "friendlier" beginner display: > > monadic: >. [ y ] >. [ y-arg ] > or > dyadic: [ x ] >. [ y ] [ x-arg ] >. [ y-arg ] > > Similar to what Skip Cave noted about not displaying info until needed, > this approach shows the syntax--and rank appears only when needed. > > >From my perspective as a newer learner of J, this approach would be far > more helpful than the current triple rank indicator. The latter is > fine once one gets further along in J and might use the DoJ more. > > Harvey > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
