Xref: utzoo comp.arch:10578 comp.lang.misc:3063
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcvax!cernvax!ethz!mrys
From: mrys@ethz.UUCP (Michael Rys)
Newsgroups: comp.arch,comp.lang.misc
Subject: Functions returning "list" of values
Message-ID: <1536@ethz.UUCP>
Date: 10 Jul 89 19:30:09 GMT
References: <57125@linus.UUCP> <1989Jun24.230056.27774@utzoo.uucp> <255@obs.unige.ch> <1387@l.cc.purdue.edu> and some more
Reply-To: mrys@bernina.ethz.ch.UUCP (Michael Rys)
Organization: ETH Zuerich, Switzerland
Lines: 36

In article <1387@l.cc.purdue.edu> cik@l.cc.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:
>What languages, other than Lisp and some similar ones, have the idea that
>an operation or function can return a string of values?

Since I don't look at APL as LISP like, I would say that at least from a
conceptual point of view, APL (with the extension of nested arrays (=
lists)) is THE language for parallel processor machines. An APL
function can (of course) return arrays of any dimensions as well as
nested arrays of any length and depth (within the implementation
boundaries of course).

Look at the Connection Machine 1 where there is a LISP which has an
additional APPLY function (idea was influenced by APL).

>What languages allow the user to introduce additional operator
>symbols?  A few allow additional types.  Now these deficiencies
>in languages go back to day 1.

In APL you don't need to introduce additional operator and functions,
they are already there :-)

BTW: May I ask the C folks to discuss intimate C problems outside of
comp.lang.misc, then C is still not the world (neither is Pascal, APL,
Ada et al.).

Cheers...An APL addict since the early age of 12.../Michael

+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| Michael Rys, V. Conzett Str. 34; CH-8004 Zuerich; Switzerland |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| UUCP:  mrys@ethz.UUCP or       EAN:     mrys@ifi.ethz.ch	|
|        mrys@bernina.UUCP       IPSANet: mrys@ipsaint		|
| Voice: +41 1 242 35 87					|
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
-- Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darueber muss man schweigen. --
       Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus logico-philosophicus