Programming languages are created with enviable regularity. According to Wikipedia, there are 240 varieties of them. But this list includes popular, generally accepted codes. For a future specialist, it is not necessary to learn everything. But you need to know which programming languages are most in demand. Check what APL programming language is and its usage in the article below.
The most important to consider about APL programming language
The Internet is the largest and most effective advertising platform. To use it, you need a website, and for this, you need a programmer with knowledge of APL. The language is very popular because it is compatible with the most popular CMS, WordPress. But with its help, you can create high-quality sites for any engine. For programmers focused on the development of websites, knowledge of APL is a must. If you are interested in application development, learning a language can be postponed.
Initially, APL was a functionally modular programming language; although modern APL supports OOP, writing a fully object-oriented code will, to put it mildly, not be very easy and readable. However, it is worth keeping in mind the fact that the ability to create complex objects is supported by language. In principle, modern APL makes it possible to create a graphical interface, but for the pleasant: it supports XML and lambda expressions. APL is considered a multi-paradigm coding language, which means that it allows programmers to take different approaches to achieve their goals, including procedural, functional, and object-oriented programming.
APL is commonly used in various problem areas such as mathematics, scientific research, imaging, engineering, robotics, and actuarial science. The language is written with a unique and non-standard APL character set. Iverson argued that the use of this set provides a notation capability that is superior to the conventional character set. Accordingly, the power of APL is based on the designation of operators, functions, and their combinations of a common array with one dedicated symbol (primitive). The result is a language that is not easy to read. However, APL has a small but vibrant user base in finance, insurance, and mathematics.
What are the main features of the APL programming language?
Unfortunately, learning a programming language takes time, which means software engineers must choose which languages to focus on. And it can be a very difficult decision. APL is a logical and relatively simple language with a minimalistic syntax. It has a small set of ground rules, and the language is easy to read and easy to write. Developers have written many libraries, so you can use ready-made solutions in your projects. The main disadvantage of that language is its low speed. Programs in it will work on average more slowly than in other languages.
Among the main features of APL programming language are the following:
- Brevity: single characters are used to write functions and operators. In addition, most symbols are used in two senses – as a unary and as a binary function, while these functions can be quite different.
- An unusual set of characters designed specifically for that language. At one time, special extensions were created for typewriters, designed to write programs in APL.
- Focus on working with arrays.
- Maximum loading of the meaning of all functions and operators: all of them are available in a variety of functionality options depending on the number and dimension of arguments (one argument or two, they are scalars or arrays, etc.).