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From: tsc2597@acf4.UUCP (Sam Chin)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: request PC apl info
Message-ID: <1050015@acf4.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 23-Mar-85 18:51:00 EST
Article-I.D.: acf4.1050015
Posted: Sat Mar 23 18:51:00 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Mar-85 06:49:47 EST
References: <1053@watdcsu.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 31

<<<>>>

Many years ago I seem to recall that STSC was started by people who left
IP Sharp. Although I haven't used APL for many years, I also remember
that STSC APL was much more convenient to use for file handling than
APL/360 because they used "quad" functions instead of "shared variables".
APL has apparently no standard defined file i/o interface (Has anyone 
standardized it?). Although I have not used any PC APL's, I played with
STSC's APL PLUS system when it was being beta tested on VAX/VMS and it looked
excellent with a full screen editor and all (The APL characters were
generated on a DEC GIGI terminal). They also had a curious extension to APL
called APLGOL which added ALGOL like constructs (while loops etc) to APL.

I seem to recall a big debate once on major extensions to APL (numerous new
incredibly powerful functions and allowing mixed data types and strings
within single objects). I know IBM was working on it and that STSC announced
a product but did it catch on? Do any of the PC versions implement these
new functions? Is there a version of APL which will work with a generic
MS-DOS machine? If so I would probably get one. I don't care about full
screen editing or communications.

I have fond memories of creating monstrously difficult code in APL. It seemed
more of an art than with any other language. Although I have found a language
where you can write a bubble sort in a single line (without using a built in
sort function) and it is called SETL (Set Theoretic Language) and was
designed and implemented at NYU.


                                             Sam Chin
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