Carrier arrays: an idiom-preserving extension to APL
Abstract
The idiomatic APL programming style is limited by the constraints of a rectangular, homogeneous array as a data structure. Non-scalar data is difficult to represent and manipulate, and the non-scalar APL functions have no uniform extension to higher rank arrays. The carrier array is an extension to APL which addresses these limitations while preserving the economical APL style. A carrier array is a ragged array with an associated partition which allows functions to be applied to subarrays in parallel. The primitive functions are given base definitions on scalars and vectors, and they are extended to higher rank arrays by uniform application mechanisms. Carrier arrays also allow the last dimensions of an array to be treated as a single datum; the primitive functions are given extended definitions on scalars and vectors of this non-scalar data.This paper defines the carrier array and gives the accompanying changes to the definitions of the APL primitive functions. Examples of programming with carrier arrays are presented, and implementation issues are discussed.
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Published In
January 1981
230 pages
ISBN:089791029X
DOI:10.1145/567532
- Conference Chairs:
- John White,
- Richard Lipton,
- Program Chair:
- Patricia C. Goldberg
Copyright © 1981 ACM.
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Published: 26 January 1981
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