If anyone's interested, I made a similar language, but inspired by k/q instead: https://cryptm.org/xs/
example fibanacci fn:
fib:(n:(neg 1)+;0@n do(2 enlist 1@x sum x~)[0 1]);Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
31–40 of 107 posts
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
If (and I grant, this is a big if ) you are used to them, the symbolic nature of APLs allows to discuss code fragments (and even entire* algorithms) using inline elements instead of as separate interspersed blocks. The difference between scanning algol-style and apl-style code is a little like the difference between scanning history books and maths books: on one hand, one must scan the latter much more slowly (symbol…
APL people often point to the definition of "average" as evidence for its economy of expression: +/÷≢ They make the argument "the word 'average' has more symbols than its definition, so why not just use the definition inline as a tacit function?" There's some elegant beauty in this that I'm sympathetic to. However, I think it's fundamentally flawed for one big reason, which in my opinion is the core of the unreadabil…
> +/÷≢ is not pronounceable as a single word, even among APL experts ("add reduce divide tally" is not a word
I’m not entirely certain most programs will ever be pronounced.
> What is wrong with this? average := add reduce divide tally
Nothing, but but it seems to imply that this: average := +/÷≢
… nicely resolves this issue of wanting to use words — AKA sequences of pronounceable but semantically meaningless glyphs —- as human-friendly (at least for English-fluent humans) mnemonics for programs — AKA sequences of not-muscle-memory-pronounceable but semantically meaningful glyphs), yeah?
Mind you I haven’t looked at the language deeply enough to know you can actually define an alias like that.
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#33Oh hey, I made this.
Cool to see it at the top of HN!
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#34Oh hey, I made this. Cool to see it at the top of HN!
It looks unlike anything I've ever seen before. Are there any other languages that use glyphs so heavily? What was your inspiration? I have no idea how I would use this language, but it's put a smile on my face. Amazing work.
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#35Oh hey, I made this. Cool to see it at the top of HN!
It looks unlike anything I've ever seen before. Are there any other languages that use glyphs so heavily? What was your inspiration? I have no idea how I would use this language, but it's put a smile on my face. Amazing work.
> Are there any other languages that use glyphs so heavily?
This is the case with most of the languages in the APL family, but especially APL [1] and BQN [2].
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APL_(programming_language)
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#36Oh hey, I made this. Cool to see it at the top of HN!
It looks unlike anything I've ever seen before. Are there any other languages that use glyphs so heavily? What was your inspiration? I have no idea how I would use this language, but it's put a smile on my face. Amazing work.
> Are there any other languages that use glyphs so heavily?
APL (the first, invented in the 1960s): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APL_(programming_language)
BQN (a modern APL, looks like an inspiration for Uiua though I don't know): https://mlochbaum.github.io/BQN/
Too many smaller esoteric languages to count.
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
If (and I grant, this is a big if ) you are used to them, the symbolic nature of APLs allows to discuss code fragments (and even entire* algorithms) using inline elements instead of as separate interspersed blocks. The difference between scanning algol-style and apl-style code is a little like the difference between scanning history books and maths books: on one hand, one must scan the latter much more slowly (symbol…
APL people often point to the definition of "average" as evidence for its economy of expression: +/÷≢ They make the argument "the word 'average' has more symbols than its definition, so why not just use the definition inline as a tacit function?" There's some elegant beauty in this that I'm sympathetic to. However, I think it's fundamentally flawed for one big reason, which in my opinion is the core of the unreadabil…
[deleted]
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#38The usage of symbolism is neat, but it wasn't intuitive that I had to evaluate it from right to left as opposed to left to right.
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#39My recent exposure to array programming languages came via a podcast called The Array Cast[1] Not affiliated, just recommending. The regular co-hosts appear to each be experienced with various array languages such as J, APL, etc. They don't get deeply technical, but it's a nice introduction, especially on explaining the appeal. A recent episode had Rob Pike (UTF-8, Go, etc.) on to talk about his array based calculato…
Can array languages be used as general purpose languages in any practical way? Or are they really only strong as calculators?
Dyalog APL is the one I'm most familiar with; as well as its array language syntax it has procedural-style keywords for control flow[1] like if/then/else and do/loop and so on. It has OOP class syntax too, and .NET framework bindings for event-driven Windows Forms GUIs and calling C#/.NET DLLs or building APL-based DLLs for other .NET languages. So yes, but you're not writing much array style code to do those parts. As well as being usable for the back end of a webserver.
[1] https://help.dyalog.com/latest/#Language/Control%20Structure...
Re: Uiua: A minimal stack-based, array-based language
#40My eyes! no, my brain!