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From: miner@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu (Rich A Miner )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.lang.apl
Subject: Re: APL.68000 information request (Amiga version review LONG)
Message-ID: <1290@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu>
Date: Mon, 18-May-87 11:26:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: ulowell.1290
Posted: Mon May 18 11:26:31 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 19-May-87 03:58:52 EDT
References: <6487@amdahl.UUCP> <949@water.UUCP>
Reply-To: miner@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu (Rich A Miner (.ram))
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Lowell
Lines: 42
Keywords: APL Spencer Organization 68000 STSC
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.amiga:4935 comp.lang.apl:44


In article <6487@amdahl.UUCP> kim@amdahl.UUCP (Kim DeVaughn) writes:
>I recently received a brochure from Spencer Organization, Inc. for 
>"APL.68000".  I am specifically interested in the Amiga version 
I just received APL.68000 for the Amiga, here is a quick review.  I cannot 
comment much on the language, I am new to APL.  Included in the cloth bound 
box was: a single Amiga disk, with the APL interpreter, example programs, 
and libraries; an APL.68000 quick reference booklet; a spiral bound manual 
with sections on, getting started with APL, APL concepts, and an APL.68000
reference;  key stickers to map out the APL keyboard; and a separate booklet
on the Amiga specific features of this implementation.

This version of APL does allow you to access most of the Amiga advanced
features.  They have demo programs that shows the opening of windows and the
generation of graphical objects, all with little code.  You can also use music
and sound features using built in functions like OPENSOUND and MAKEWAVE. 
I have not done any benchmarks though I have started playing around with some
heavy math, circular convolutions and single value decomposition (time to 
get that 68020,68881 combo).  We will be using the APL to prototype Image 
Processing algorithms and maybe as a front end language for a Parallel 
Image Co-Processor board that we have built for the Amiga-A2000.

>Two concerns on the Amiga implementation ... dunno if multitasking is
>supported (no mention), and don't know if access to the native file system
>is provided (mentioned for all *other* implementations).

It does support multitasking and it allows communication using several
methods.  You can spawn off different APL tasks during your session.  These 
different tasks can all access the Amiga ClipBoard.  One method for inter-
task communication is using the APL.68K commands PUTCLIP and GETCLIP to
transfer small bits of information between applications.  An other more
interesting method is the use of their component files.  The APL.68K 
componant file is shared between all APL sessions.  The component file 
system can thus be used to pass any APL data (including overlays of APL 
functions) between different APL sessions.  There was no mention of using 
message port and I am not sure weather these features can be accessed.

There are also commands to access and create files using the native Amiga
file system.

If you have any specific questions send EMAIL.
-- 
Rich Miner  ULowell-Cntr for Productivity  !ulowell!miner  617-452-5000x2693