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To: SkyPilot
Interesting..... It’s been ages since I have seen any actual codes much less that language. I’m a FORTRAN fossil. LOL

Best I can tell, that is a jumbled mess that combines in a single line, functions that FORTRAN would separate into separate lines and subroutines. If this is correct, FORTRAN has an advantage to the original creator and follow on programmers in that a simple non-executing statement can be added to describe what in the hell the line, subroutine or variable is supposed to be doing.

Advantage to FORTRAN for simpler program creation and maintenance.

Advantage to contemporary language for machine language level efficiency.

I used for awhile, the jumbled line format such as your example that you may have crossed paths with in primitive fossils. Hehehe... They were not uncommon in scientific and engineering model manual inputs that used compiled FORTRAN for the number crunching. It’s hard for me to describe, but it tends to lead the mind to a different and immersive thought pattern so to speak. Think of it as speaking in calculus mathematics instead of English. Weird.

54 posted on 09/21/2020 10:27:15 AM PDT by Hootowl99
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To: Hootowl99

It was described by our professor (who helped write APL) as “powerful” and “concise.” That’s one way to describe it - but it was a nightmare to write programs for. I remember trying to get mine to work on those old computer machines at college. “Index Error!” and “Re-Shape Error!” My gosh. The only thing that help alleviate the stress was beer, talking to pretty co-eds, and 80s music.


66 posted on 09/21/2020 11:32:19 AM PDT by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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