Re: [Bug-apl] question on []host and few other things...

[Juergen Sauermann]

Hello Harteg,

please see my answers inline below...

/// Jürgen

On 03/29/2014 09:08 PM, Harteg Wariyar wrote:

Hi.  I just downloaded gnu apl1.3, running it on os-x mavericks.  Took
a little bit of thinking and tinkering to get it up, but I have been waiting
to be able to run apl on the mac, so quite happy about that!

I am not familiar with Apple products, but maybe Peter's nice document
doc/APL-on-Macintosh.pdf could have helped?

One question - I was looking to interface with my file system - I see that
" )host " is implemented, but is there a []host - like command as well?
I tried []sh, []cmd, []host, but none of them seem to work. 

e.g. If I want to get "ls" of my system into a matrix, and begin parsing it,
is there a way?

I believe the above ⎕ functions are from some other APL interpreter.
GNU APL has only implemented the ⎕ functions defined in IBM APL2 and
in the ISO standard.

In IBM APL2 you would do things like the above via AP100 (see src/testcases/AP100.tc
for an example.

In GNU APL you also have the FILE_IO native function, see src/testcases/FILE_IO.tc
for an example.

[]

I am really happy to see a way to create apl code in vi (a little problem with the

layout in that the Esc key is mapped to something - I will need to look into that)

and load it via apl -f aplfile.apl.  But is there a way to load this when I am already in

apl via a [] system function ?  

Also, it looks like there is currently no support for native files []nread, []ntie functionality?

Same as above. Currently you can )DUMP a workspace in a format that can be read back
with apl -f. I could think about extending )COPY so it understands .apl files from )DUMP.
I have added that to my TODO list.

Otherwise, FILE_IO is the way to go.

[]

as for bugs, I have one at the moment:

When I launch mac terminal with apl font, my font is black.  Once I quit apl, with )off, my font 

is now gray.  And when I restart apl, it is still light gray unlike the first time I ran apl.  Not sure why.

Upon starting a new terminal session, it's fine again.

Sounds like wrong ESC sequences for colors. Check your preferences file.

[]

I do have suggestions for things I am looking for in apl that aren't typically there - if interested,

please let me know and I can organize my thoughts on this.

e.g. localize variables by default (no side effects), multi-function scripts, pass-by-value C-style structures.

I am rather sceptical of non-standard "improvements" of APL. I have seen many such extensions
in other interpreters and languages. Very few of these extensions have really convinced me,
though. I also believe that too many different extensions in different APL interpreters split an
already small community of APL users into even smaller fractions. I understand that in the past this
was (thought to be) needed by commercial vendors to distinguish their APL interpreter from those of
their competitors. But the overall effect of that may have harmed APL more than it has helped.
So, don't expect too much from GNU APL in that direction.

Anyway, you are doing wonderful work!

Thanks again and looking forward to your response,

   - Harteg