whm (04/01/83)
The UNIX implementation of Icon is available from the Computer Science Department of The University of Arizona. This implemen- tation runs on VAX UNIX systems and split I/D PDP-11 V7 UNIX systems. The system includes both an interpreter and a compiler for Icon. Complete source code for all system components is included. To get an Icon system, specify the following where applicable: Your Name Address Organization Telephone Network Address Desired tape density (800 or 1600 bpi) and send a tape at least 600 feet long (or check/money order for $15 payable to The University of Arizona) to: Icon Project Department of Computer Science The University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 The current release, v5g, is brand new and we've just started distributing it. There have been no major changes since the v5v release, but a number of minor enhancements have been made. For those who may not be familiar with Icon, Icon is a high-level general-purpose programming language that emphasizes string and structure processing. Icon bears a heritage from SNOBOL4 and SL5 and is partly the result of attempts to improve these languages and correct some of their notable defects. We believe that Icon fills a gap in the hierarchy of languages available under UNIX. A book on Icon, "The Icon programming language" is available from Prentice-Hall. The book is excellent and can almost certainly turn anyone into a competent Icon programmer. We are in the process of setting up an electronic mailing list to discuss Icon related topics. We will start out distributing this list via CSNET, thus, people on CSNET and the ARPANET will be able to participate. If you'd like to be on the list, drop a note to icon-group-request.arizona@rand-relay. We don't really have any idea how things will go, but we've been sitting on the fence about this for quite some time, so we're going to go ahead and give it a spin. We are maintaining an electronic mailbox, arizona!icon-project (Usenet), icon-project.arizona@rand-relay (CSNET/ARPANET) for Icon questions and problems. Currently, we have uucp connections to kpno, mcnc, purdue, and utah-cs. There is a short (10 page, ~20k chars) document that provides an overview of the Icon language. If there is sufficient interest, I'll post it to net.sources. Bill Mitchell arizona!whm whm.arizona@rand-relay 602-626-3685
whm (05/20/83)
Icon is available from the Computer Science Department of The University of Arizona. Version 5 of Icon is currently available for VAXs and PDP-11s (split i/d) running UNIX. Version 5 is also available for ONYX C8002 systems, but is not directly obtainable from the U of A. Distribution information can be obtained by mailing to: {kpno,mcnc,purdue,ucbvax,utah-cs}!arizona!icon-project icon-project.arizona@rand-relay Nroff source for an overview of Icon was distributed on net.sources a few weeks ago. Information about Icon documentation can be obtained by mailing to the above addresses. Bill Mitchell Icon Project The U of Arizona
wasser@viking.DEC (John A. Wasser) (10/16/85)
> Has anyone out in netland heard of icon oriented languages ? > -Steve Sanderson Two examples can be found on the Macintosh: CHIPWITS (from BrainWorks) is a game where robots are programmed by laying out a series of graphic "chips" in a fixed size "panel". The chips represent operations as "push a constant on the number stack", "rotate 45 degrees left" or "feel the square directly in front of you and branch if it's a wall". Chips are connected by arrows showing flow of control (conditionals have a TRUE arrow and a FALSE arrow). The programmed robots are then sent out into one of a selection of mazes to rack up points by eating good things, destroying bad and exploring the maze. HELIX (from Odesta) is a relational database where selection and reporting programs are represented by "tiles" that are connected by arrows. The tiles are not limited to a fixed grid like in ChipWits. I'm not as familiar with this program as I have only seen it in demonstrations (never used it myself). -John A. Wasser Work address: ARPAnet: WASSER%VIKING.DEC@decwrl.ARPA Usenet: {allegra,Shasta,decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-viking!wasser Easynet: VIKING::WASSER