J is an interactive programming language designed by Ken Iverson. It is a descendant of APL and both are heavily based on algebra. refs: K. E. Iverson Programming in J ISI 1992 K. E. Iverson J Introduction and Dictionary ISI 1993 It is essential to investigate j "experimentally" by predicting what an expression will do, running it and comparing the result with your expectation. Read the chapters of the `J Introduction and Dictionary' and do some of the exercises (p45 ...) See the files on J Grammar, J Values, J Operators and J Procedures. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- eg. (anything you type is indicated by `>' here, but not in a real j session.) > j -- starts j interpreter, you may need to set your `path' correctly. > i. 2 3 -- i. can be read as `integers', 2 by 3 0 1 2 ) 3 4 5 )-- the result > 1+2 3 > ctrl-D -- ends session ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ftp site, as of 1991: watserv1.waterloo.edu [129.97.129.140] (U. Waterloo) in the directory languages/apl/j for: atari_st, Mac, mips, next, pc, sgi, sun3861, sun4, vax_bsd ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strand Software Systems Inc. (8/'94) 2 Adelaide Street West, Suite 203, Toronto, ON, Canada M5H 1L6 tel: (416) 369-1630 fax: (416) 369-9590 email: anne.faust@rose.com J release 2 for Windows $US 495 J pc-dos / mac / sparc $US 50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iverson Software Inc. 33 Major St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2K9, Canada tel: (416) 925 6096 fax: (416) 488 7559 From the Nov' 1993 catalogue: Item Unit Price $US ------------------------ -------------- APLIPC 30.00 APLI386 30.00 APLIWIN 30.00 APL ref manual 30.00 APLIWIN run time licence 300.00 J System Kits (inc' J Intro' & Dictionary) PC 30.00 PC386 30.00 Sun SPARC 30.00 Mac 30.00 J Intro' & Dictionary 30.00 Programming in J 15.00 Tangible Maths 12.00 Arithmetic 18.00 Calculus 25.00 J Source Code 90.00 Shipping 10.00 o'seas surcharge 10.00 Credit cards not accepted Discounts: 50% for 20 or more copies, 25% for 10 or more, bookstores 50% Allow 3 weeks for delivery