Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!shenkin
From: shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter S. Shenkin)
Subject: Differences between J versions?
Message-ID: <1991Apr22.022402.6381@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Sender: shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter S. Shenkin)
Reply-To: shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1991 02:24:02 GMT

Could someone (Roger?) post something about what the differences are between
successive J versions?  For example, I believe 3.0 is now available for
the PC, but only 2.9 is available for the Iris.

In general, is it one of the following possible kinds of differences?

A.  The language design is frozen and fully implemented; new versions improve 
    the quality of the implementation.

B.  The language design is frozen, but not all parts of the design are 
    implemented in earlier versions;  newer versions implement more of the
    language.

C.  The language design is still evolving;  new versions contain newly
    conceived features.  There are two possible subsets of this:

    1.  The language is growing by accretion;  new versions add to the
        facilities provided by older versions.

    2.  Even earlier features are continually being re-thought, and may change.

Some general comments along these lines, and perhaps extrapolating to "where
J is going," would be most welcome.

Thanks,
-P.
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Peter S. Shenkin, Department of Chemistry, Barnard College, New York, NY  10027
(212)854-1418  shenkin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu(Internet)  shenkin@cunixf(Bitnet)
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