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GNU Data Language

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21–30 of 34 posts

Re: GNU Data Language

#22
post #20
post #16

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times more: when showing a language... Show. Me. The Code. I had to click through 5(!) links before I saw any code and those links were not terribly intuitive. No "getting started", no "tutorial", nothing. It seems like an interesting language but it baffles me how many language designers and implementers seem to hide the very code that they aim to use. Here is the first…

share the resulting link!

Sure thing. Edited my original post

Re: GNU Data Language

#23

It's funny for me to see all these references to 'IDL' describing "Interactive Data Language". I had only associated the term IDL with 'Interface Definition Language' [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interface_description_language

[deleted]

Re: GNU Data Language

#24
post #16

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times more: when showing a language... Show. Me. The Code. I had to click through 5(!) links before I saw any code and those links were not terribly intuitive. No "getting started", no "tutorial", nothing. It seems like an interesting language but it baffles me how many language designers and implementers seem to hide the very code that they aim to use. Here is the first…

its actually pretty decent syntax. I wonder why they wouldnt put it more front and center?

Re: GNU Data Language

#25
post #19

Is this actually associated with the GNU project? The GNU folks aren't fond of GitHub. [0] [0] https://www.gnu.org/software/repo-criteria-evaluation.en.htm...

The Wikipedia page for GDL states that it isn't an official GNU package. [0] I couldn't find an explanation as to why it is named such. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Data_Language

Well they can probably get in trouble for branding as GNU, even if they disclaim it somewhere else. GNU is trademarked, for one. https://trademarks.justia.com/853/80/gnu-85380218.html

Re: GNU Data Language

#26

It's funny for me to see all these references to 'IDL' describing "Interactive Data Language". I had only associated the term IDL with 'Interface Definition Language' [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interface_description_language

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IDL_(programming_language) is the one you're looking for :)

It's a popular (and frankly terrible) language used in astronomy and astrophysics. My first (semi-professional) programming job was a high school internship at NASA AMES writing IDL to process data from the Cassini probe orbiting Saturn. At that time you had to use a clunky IDE for development and the whole toolchain was proprietary.

Re: GNU Data Language

#27
post #16

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times more: when showing a language... Show. Me. The Code. I had to click through 5(!) links before I saw any code and those links were not terribly intuitive. No "getting started", no "tutorial", nothing. It seems like an interesting language but it baffles me how many language designers and implementers seem to hide the very code that they aim to use. Here is the first…

You'd only be looking at this because you already know you need to use IDL and want an open-source implementation. Unless you have a hard requirement to use it (like your data is in an IDL data format, or you rely on IDL libraries) there is no reason you would choose to over R, Python, or Julia.

Re: GNU Data Language

#28

What are the advantages of GNU Data Language over established alternatives such as R, Python/NumPy, or Octave?

IDL is a much older established language dating back to the '70s. So GDL would appeal to anyone needing to run or develop IDL code but wishing to avoid paying the license fee.

Re: GNU Data Language

#29
post #16

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times more: when showing a language... Show. Me. The Code. I had to click through 5(!) links before I saw any code and those links were not terribly intuitive. No "getting started", no "tutorial", nothing. It seems like an interesting language but it baffles me how many language designers and implementers seem to hide the very code that they aim to use. Here is the first…

If you remove the loitering '$' at line ends, and replace ';' for comments with '#,' this would pass as valid Python.

Re: GNU Data Language

#30
post #16

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times more: when showing a language... Show. Me. The Code. I had to click through 5(!) links before I saw any code and those links were not terribly intuitive. No "getting started", no "tutorial", nothing. It seems like an interesting language but it baffles me how many language designers and implementers seem to hide the very code that they aim to use. Here is the first…

Is it really a language, though? It seems simply like an implementation of an existing language. If I make a new C compiler, you probably won't ask me for example inputs for it.
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