[comp.lang.apl] Looking for APL compiler/interpretor.

umcarls9@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Charles Carlson) (09/18/90)

In article <20338@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> hamdyz@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (Zikif Hamdy) writes:
>
>I am looking for APL (A Programming Language) compiler or interpretor
>that runs on Apple Macintosh. Prefer non-commercial program. Shareware
>is okay.

Here at the University of Manitoba the students use APL 68000 for course
work.  There is another APL package as well, can't remember the name
though.   Both packages are commercial.  You generally don't find too many
language compilers/interpreters in the shareware market.

Charles

allyn@milton.u.washington.edu (Allyn Weaks) (09/19/90)

umcarls9@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Charles Carlson) writes:
>In article <20338@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> hamdyz@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (Zikif Hamdy)
writes:
>>
>>I am looking for APL (A Programming Language) compiler or interpretor
>>that runs on Apple Macintosh. Prefer non-commercial program. Shareware
>>is okay.

>Here at the University of Manitoba the students use APL 68000 for course
>work.  There is another APL package as well, can't remember the name
>though.   Both packages are commercial.  You generally don't find too many
>language compilers/interpreters in the shareware market.

The other main commercial APL is STSC APL*PLUS, which I have and use sometimes.
But it has never been supported, and most copies don't work on 68020/30. Yeah,
that's right, most copies - I've heard that some are ok, but never seen one.
STSC disavows all knowledge.  It would be a nice implementation if only they
would give it some attention.

Another old commercial version is/was MacAPL from Leptonic Systems.  There's a
demo version on sumex-aim.stanford.edu.  It had a nice mac interface.  I
suspect it never really got finished, since it's author (Michael O'Conner) got
distracted off onto the far more lucrative Compuserve navigator.

There is/was a shareware version of APL90, but the copy I have broke with
System 5.  Try writing to:

SYNC 
12 Place hotel de Ville
42000 Saint-Etienne
France


On the other hand, Iverson himself has just released Mac and pc versions of J.
It's available via ftp from the new APL archive on watserv1.waterloo.edu (in
directory languages/apl/J).  If you want documentation (or can't use ftp) you
can order it for a mere $24 from:

Iverson Software Inc.
3512 Cameron Mills Road
Alexandria Virginia  22305-1103
703-548-1799


My check is in the mail, so I can't say much about it.  I've heard it uses
ascii commands, and the binaries are too small for a real mac interface. (I
haven't had a chance to download and test drive it yet.)  But it's by Iverson
himself, so it's certainly worth a look.


Allyn Weaks
allyn@milton.u.washington.edu

mrys@ethz.UUCP (Michael Rys) (09/20/90)

In article <7745@milton.u.washington.edu> allyn@milton.u.washington.edu (Allyn Weaks) writes:
>umcarls9@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Charles Carlson) writes:
>>In article <20338@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> hamdyz@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (Zikif Hamdy)
>writes:
>>>
>>>I am looking for APL (A Programming Language) compiler or interpretor
>>>that runs on Apple Macintosh. Prefer non-commercial program. Shareware
>>>is okay.
>
>>Here at the University of Manitoba the students use APL 68000 for course
>>work.  There is another APL package as well, can't remember the name

APL.68000 (and the new nested array APL.68000 Level II) are really great
APL interpreters, but I guess to expensive for your needs.

>The other main commercial APL is STSC APL*PLUS, which I have and use sometimes.
>But it has never been supported, and most copies don't work on 68020/30. Yeah,

STSC APL*PLUS for the Mac (aka Porta APL) is not supported anymore. I
like APL.68000 more.

>Another old commercial version is/was MacAPL from Leptonic Systems.  There's a
>demo version on sumex-aim.stanford.edu.  It had a nice mac interface.  I
>suspect it never really got finished, since it's author (Michael O'Conner) got
>distracted off onto the far more lucrative Compuserve navigator.

It is a real pity.

>There is/was a shareware version of APL90, but the copy I have broke with
>System 5.  Try writing to:

At APL90 I've got a copy which works under 6.0.*. It is a very
interesting APL.

>On the other hand, Iverson himself has just released Mac and pc versions of J.
>My check is in the mail, so I can't say much about it.  I've heard it uses
>ascii commands, and the binaries are too small for a real mac interface. (I
>haven't had a chance to download and test drive it yet.)  But it's by Iverson
>himself, so it's certainly worth a look.

There is currently no user interface at all (unless you call
stdin/stdout a user interface :-). I've heard Roger Hui is working on
one. Watch out for it. It is also true that J uses ASCII glyphs for J
verbs and adverbs (functions and operators for old APLers).

>Allyn Weaks
>allyn@milton.u.washington.edu

Hope this helps.../Michael

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