Re: lightweight languages

[Shriram Krishnamurthi <address@hidden>]

Dan Weinreb wrote:

> If you don't already know about it, you might be interested in looking
> at a programming language called "APL", which stands for A Programing
> Language, invented by Kenneth Iverson (of IBM, I think) in the 1960's
> (I think).  It has fallen out of prominence, although I have no doubt
> that there is some remnant still actively using some form of it
> somewhere.  

APL has given birth to a successor called J:

  http://www.jsoftware.com/

  J was designed and developed by Ken Iverson and Roger Hui. It is
  similar to the language APL, departing from APL in using using the
  ASCII alphabet exclusively, but employing a spelling scheme that
  retains the advantages of the special alphabet required by APL. It has 
  added features and control structures that extend its power beyond
  standard APL. Although it can be used as a conventional procedural
  programming language, it can also be used as a pure functional
  programming language. 

It's a fine language, with honest-to-goodness integration w/ systems
(especially Windows).

Shriram