ljdickey@watmath.UUCP (Lee Dickey) (03/31/84)
>[I'd say readability depends on your programming style. I've found if you ] >[use *alot* of small, simple routines, with fairly mnemonic names, plus ] >[one or two strategically placed comments, programs remain readable. Does ] >[anyone have other comments on this? ] I agree! Some people have complained about APL being difficult to read, but they forget that a short 4 or 5 line program in APL can be equivalent to a 50 to 100 line program in FORTRAN or some other middle level language. I also notice that some APL beginners (like me for instance, when I started) tend to write in a horizontal style, thinking that it is somehow more efficient or something. I disagree. I tend to write more vertically now, with maximum number of lines around 20 to 25, because that is what fits on a screen. One "rule" that has helped me with this goal is the one that says: Make at most one assignment to a line. -- Lee Dickey, University of Waterloo. (ljdickey@watmath.UUCP) ...!allegra!watmath!ljdickey ...!ucbvax!decvax!watmath!ljdickey