Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!jtsv16!blister!itcyyz!yrloc!hui
From: hui@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Roger Hui)
Subject: Re: Differences between J versions?
Message-ID: <1991Apr24.025407.5190@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM>
Reply-To: hui@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Roger Hui)
Organization: Iverson Software Inc.
References: <1991Apr22.022402.6381@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 91 02:54:07 GMT

0. The latest version is not available all machines, because
we have ready access only to some machines (and the Iris, being rather
expensive, is not one of them); because our resources are limited; and
because there are only 24 hours in a day.

1. If you don't have the latest version, then it is a bit difficult
to find out what the differences are between the latest version and
the version you have on hand.  But then, the differences would not
affect you.  If you do have the latest version x, then the file 
"status.doc" included with the package describes briefly the changes
from one version to the next, up to version x.

status.doc also has items marked "NYA", not yet available.
These tend to be items already in the dictionary, but not yet
implemented.  Current NYA items of note include:  E. (interval search),
p. (poly roots), c. (characteristic vectors and roots).

2. The most visible and inconvenient differences between versions tend
to be the spelling changes.  We don't make spelling changes lightly, 
but such changes do happen.

3. I should hope the language design is still evolving.  (Only dead
languages aren't.)  Certain core ideas have remain constant for a long
time (since APL\360 and before).

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Roger Hui
Iverson Software Inc., 33 Major Street, Toronto, Ontario  M5S 2K9
(416) 925 6096