liebtag@stlvm20.vnet.ibm.com ("David Liebtag") (05/20/91)
Bob Bernecky correctly points out that the real of topic of discussion should be how to apply an arbitrary function to an arbitrary subset of an array. Unfortunately, I am not willing to be the heavy (read APL2 advocate) in this discussion. Although I do believe that APL2's nested arrays are very useful in a wide variety of situations, in these particular cases (where you're trying to select subsets of rectangular arrays) I agree that Rank is the correct solution. I too wish APL2 included it. However, I don't get to call all the shots in APL2 development. Other people are involved in the decision about what gets into APL2 in any particular release cycle. I don't feel I am qualified to carry on the argument and I feel there would be a conflict of interest (since I'm on your side on this one.) Hope this doesn't just sound like a cop-out. Regards, David Liebtag
monardo@cshl.org (Pat Monardo) (05/21/91)
In article <9105201628.AA20201@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> liebtag@stlvm20.vnet.ibm.com ("David Liebtag") writes: > > Bob Bernecky correctly points out that the real of topic of >discussion should be how to apply an arbitrary function to an >arbitrary subset of an array. > > I don't feel I am qualified to carry on the argument and I feel >there would be a conflict of interest (since I'm on your side >on this one.) > > Hope this doesn't just sound like a cop-out. > actually, i took the BIG cop out. i dont use APL. i miss it though. what would be terrific if i volunteer to build a C++ Array library for general purpose use and i would get consulting help from the gurus in exchange for making it shareware. ideally it would be complete enough for people to base an interpreter on. people who dont want to endure the constraints of the workspace, the dependence on an interpreter vendor, etc, but would like to have access to *something* in the spirit of APL would benefit greatly. the interesting issue is how to make rank, frames, merge/from useful outside of an APL interpreter.