4 ms·
I learned C and IBM APL2 around the same time for financial apps. For APL, i read the Polivka and Pakin book about 30 times, not this edition, but the red pape
by gtani 10y ago
I learned C and IBM APL2 around the same time for financial apps. For APL, i read the Polivka and Pakin book about 30 times, not this edition, but the red paperback I used is apparently impossible to buy. Excellent book, it got me to where i could be competitive in obfuscated APL contests: https://www.amazon.com/P-L-Prentice-Hall-automatic-computation/dp/0130388858 https://www.amazon.com/P-L-Prentice-Hall-automatic-computati...
- ktRolster 10y agoI agree, it is one of the best tutorial/technical books I have ever read. Very clean writing style, and the authors clearly enjoy their topic.
- rebootthesystem 10y agoI have pictures of my younger self at an APL conference in 1983 with Polivka, Pakin, Ken Iverson and other APL luminaries of the day. Small community.
- spthorn60 10y agoAPL was hot in Poughkeepsie, where I grew up. My first APL program was a Mastermind simulator (on our high school's Telex connected to a timeshare system). My dad worked for IBM, and Ray and Ken were household names.
- xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 10y agoDid you go to PDS (Poughkeepsie Day School)?
- rbanffy 10y ago"Obfuscated APL"? Isn't that a pleonasm?
- kbenson 10y ago> i read the Polivka and Pakin book about 30 times I hope that's because the book was more accessible than the computer platforms at the time, otherwise that is a steep learning curve.
- ktRolster 10y agoNah, just think that he was able to go from relative beginner to a complete expert with a single book. Rare to find such a multi-layered book that has in-depth knowledge, but is still useful to beginners.