Talk:APL (programming language)
APL is renowned for ... being able to express an air traffic control system in two lines of code.
- I suspect this may be an exaggeration. --Brion 22:08 Sep 20, 2002 (UTC)
Probably, but it's not too far from the truth, and may well be literally true for some appropriate definitions of "line" and "traffic control system". It really does capture something of the flavor of the language; I'd be inclined to call it a colorful way to express that, or a rhetorical exaggeration. I don't think figures of speech like that are entirely out of place here. --LDC
APL character set
The current table doesn't do much for me, and I know I have Unicode installed. LaTeX has most, if not all, of the characters (I'm still figuring out how to get the sort function to work in LaTeX). Meanwhile, here's an APL keyboard layout image.... I'm working on permissions.
-- UtherSRG 15:55, 12 May 2004 (UTC)
I've commented out the table again. Perhaps some explicit instructions how how to ensure readability would be good. I know I have Unicode installed, but I can not see most of the APL symbols. - UtherSRG 14:24, 13 May 2004 (UTC)
- Instructions will depend on the system you use. Some browsers (e.g. Mozilla and Lynx under Linux) show all APL characters without any additional setup whatsoever. There is no reason to hide the table, because it is not essential here. Perhaps it will prompt readers to get an APL-compatible font if they are really interested in APL. — Monedula 14:48, 13 May 2004 (UTC)
- I'm really interested in APL and I can't figure out what's wrong. I have MSIE 6.0.2. I have Unicode installed. What else is required?
- Leaving the table there and broken for the majority of folks is not acceptable withouth giving good instructions on how to view it. When I asked Rex Swain (owner of the keyboard image) to use his image, he visited the page and said he couldn't view the table. There aren't many folks more interested in APL than he is. - UtherSRG 15:01, 13 May 2004 (UTC)
- The broken table has made you aware of a problem? It is very good!
- Now the instructions. In MSIE go to menu, press Tools, then Internet Options. In the dialog box press the button Fonts.... The "Fonts" dialog box appears. In the Language script box select "Latin based". Now in the Web page font box select a font what contains the APL symbols. One of such fonts is Arial Unicode MS. This font is supplied with "Microsoft Office" — if you have istalled it, then you should have the font. If not, copy this font from someone else's machine. Or get any other font that is both APL- and Unicode-compatible and install it, and then select it in the Web page font box.
- In any case, displaying characters is the browser's problem, not Wikipedia's. Wikipedia supplies information, browser displays it. Do not break up this division of labour. — Monedula 15:31, 13 May 2004 (UTC)