A Programming Language
(APL) A language designed originally by Ken Iverson
at {Harvard University} in 1957-1960 as a notation for the
concise expression of mathematical {algorithms}. It went
unnamed (or just called {Iverson's Language}) and
unimplemented for many years. Finally a subset, APL\360, was
implemented in 1964.
APL is an {interactive} {array-oriented} language with many
innovative features. It was originally written using a
non-standard {character set} but now can use {ISO8485}. It is
{dynamically typed} with {dynamic scope}. APL introduced
several functional forms but is not {purely functional}.
{Dijkstra} got the size of it when he said that APL was a
language designed to perfection - in the wrong direction.
{IBM} once adopted APL - can one be ruder?
Versions: APL\360, APL SV, VS APL, Sharp APL, Sharp APL/PC,
APL▫PLUS, APL▫PLUS/PC, APL▫PLUS/PC II, MCM APL, Honeyapple,
and DEC APL.
See also {Kamin's interpreters}.
{APLWEB} translates {WEB} to {APL}.
["A Programming Language", Kenneth E. Iverson, Wiley, 1962].
(1995-11-29)