> What attracted me, then, to APL > was a feeling that perhaps through APL > one might begin to acquire some of the dimensions in > programming that we re

> What attracted me, then, to APL > was a feeling that perhaps through APL > one might begin to acquire some of the dimensions in > programming that we revere in natural language — > some of the pleasures of composition; of saying > things elegantly; of being brief, poetic, artistic, > that makes our natural languages so precious to us. > That aspect of programming was one that I’ve long > been interested in but have never found any level > for coming close to in my experience with languages > of the FORTRAN, ALGOL, PL/I school. > It was clear in those languages that > programming was really an exercise in plumbing. > programming was really an exercise in plumbing. > programming was really an exercise in plumbing. > programming was really an exercise in plumbing. > programming was really an exercise in plumbing > One was building an intricate object, and the > main problem was just to keep your head above water. > above water > But, so difficult is it to keep your head above water > with those languages that this aspect of > the languages we use in programming just never surfaces. > For me, in listening to Ken then > — > and I’d heard him before > — > for me, at that moment, > there came what I can > only call > a > revelation. I had the same feeling about the plumbing bit..