APL and descendants - was Re: If C is so evil why is it so successful?

[Toby Thain]

On 2017-04-13 6:54 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> On 04/13/2017 02:19 PM, Brent Hilpert via cctalk wrote:
>
>> While one might argue the proliferation of BASIC on micros followed
>> from BG/PA & SW/SJ, I'd say their implementations were following a
>> trend rather than initiating it. BASIC was gaining prominence prior
>> to their implementations of it. It was in all 3 of the pre-microproc
>> personal computers: HP9830, Wang2200, IBM5100. It was becoming
>> popular and spreading in the small-business world through the
>> Pick-based systems (albeit an extended version of the language). It
>> had gained awareness through the educational system and timesharing
>> systems. All prior to MS & Apple.
>>
>> As bad as it was, it was present in the right place (small, easy to
>> implement, interpretable &  easy to use) at the right time (the
>> nascent small-system and personal computer era).
>
> ...or that Iverson language, APL, present on the 5100 and what was
> probably one of the the first microcomputers, the MCM/70.
>
> So, whence APL today?

Still lives on -- Dyalog, J, K, etc. Recently discovered the #jsoftware 
channel on Freenode for APL fans.

--Toby


>
> --Chuck
>