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From: cs450a03@uc780.umd.edu
Newsgroups: comp.arch,comp.lang.misc
Subject: RE: Compilers and efficiency
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Date: 12 Apr 91 20:52:34 GMT
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Herman Rubin   >
Me             >|
Michael Turner >** 
>** Guy Harris's example (if I remember correctly) was that no
>** language he knew of had semantics for retrieving both the integer
>** quotient and the remainder from a floating divide ...

>| You mean like
>|       0 3.141592654 #: 20
>| 6 1.150444076

>Translate, please.  Seeing the results, I still do not have any idea what
>the instruction does or how to put the results in a useful place, probably
>registers.

Well,    (x,y) #: z  where x, y, and z are all single numbers returns
two results.  The "number on the right" is the remainder from z
divided by y.  The "number on the left" is the quotient of that
division modulo x.  "N modulo 0" is defined to be N.

Therefore,  (0,y) #: z   computes the dividend and remainder of y
divided by z.

Finally, note that for constants, the notation (x, y) may be
abbreviated by just writing the two numbers separated by a space.

>The problem with APL and other such wierdos (like 99+% of the
>assembler languages) is their highly artificial syntax.

Anything you understand is simple.  Anything you do not understand is
not simple.  I suppose I should also point out that in infix notation
a function takes arguments on both the right side and the left side.
I don't know if it is relevant to describe the details of this
mechanism.

Also note that   #:   is a single symbol.

>APL does have one feature lacking in at least most other languages;
>it attempts to have a reasonably compact notation.  But there is no
>adequate macro processor available.  An adequate macro processor
>would include the capability of easily translating APL into other
>languages, for example, and even having the translation take into
>account types.

He he...

APL is just now getting around to using ASCII... give it a little time
before it translates to every language under the sun.  :-)

Other than that, it looks like all you are asking for is constant
folding.

Raul