Re: [Bug-apl] External tools acting on interpreter commands (nabla and )ED)

[Juergen Sauermann]

Hi,

I dare to disagree. In my opinion the ∇ editor is very useful in APL 
scripts (not used as
interactive editor, but to define functions used later on in the 
script). Functions specified with
∇ are IMHO much more readable than functions specified with ⎕FX, in 
particular when they are long.

The advantage of having one more char available may not be worth the 
confusion and
incompatibilities that it may create.

/// Jürgen


On 02/12/2014 10:17 AM, Nick Lobachevsky wrote:
> Function definition mode (typing ∇ followed by a symbol name) is an
> artifact of the kind of terminal hardware supported by APL (the IBM
> 2741 with its iconic typeballs) in the 1960s.   As such, nearly 50
> years later, it may be worth rethinking some of these things to take
> advantage of newer editor and windowing technologies in common use.
>
> In my opinion, in a windowed environment, function definition mode can
> be safely disabled provided the system can provide an alternative
> editor for functions and possibly variables.  In SS Windows, Dyalog
> APL invokes an editor when you double click with the cursor positioned
> over a name.  APL2000 invokes a full screen editor when you type ∇
> followed by a name.  Function definition mode seems to be retained in
> some implementations simply to be part of a faithful replica of
> APL\360.
>
> Removing function definition mode would have the side effect of
> freeing the ∇ character for other uses.