4 ms·

Well this is pretty much the goal of the BQN website so my best attempts are there. I might point to the quick start page https://mlochbaum.github.io/BQN/doc/qu

Well this is pretty much the goal of the BQN website so my best attempts are there. I might point to the quick start page https://mlochbaum.github.io/BQN/doc/quick.html https://mlochbaum.github.io/BQN/doc/quick.html as a way to feel more comfortable with the syntax right away. And the community page https://mlochbaum.github.io/BQN/community/index.html https://mlochbaum.github.io/BQN/community/index.html collects links by others; Sylvia's blog in particular focuses on the sorts of flat array techniques that are useful for a compiler.

upghost 2y ago
Just looked at the github -- wait, you wrote BQN? My God. Is there any prior art on this -- arraylangs with first class functions? I don't think very many people realize how incredible the semantic power of BQN is. The idea of an arraylang with first class functions... it truly staggers the imagination. I feel like if I were able to wrap my head around it I would never want to code in anything else. Thanks again and excited to take another look at it!
- mlochbaum 2y ago
  K, for a start. Whitney's earlier dialect A+ too. See https://aplwiki.com/wiki/First-class_function https://aplwiki.com/wiki/First-class_function .
- smabie 2y ago
  Don't most array languages have first class functions?
  - upghost 2y ago
    They have functions but not first class functions. Think (the ability to make) a vector/matrix of functions rather than just numbers :O What could you do with that? I don't know, but I bet some pretty cool stuff.
    - bear8642 2y ago
      > What could you do with that? Just a couple quick ideas: fns ← f g h ⍝ array of function fns[condition] args ⍝ select function to run (3 0 0⌿fns) args ⍝ f f f args
BoiledCabbage 2y ago
While I've seen BQN mentioned previously on pages that discuss APL, K & J I finally took a look at it. I've got to say, it's a really impressive language. Very well thought through, it brings some nice ideas. And as someone still newer to the space, it seems to do a great job of eliminating some of the unnecessary complexity of other languages. The straightforward approach on syntax / parsing is really fresh air.

upghost 2y ago

Just looked at the github -- wait, you wrote BQN? My God. Is there any prior art on this -- arraylangs with first class functions? I don't think very many people realize how incredible the semantic power of BQN is. The idea of an arraylang with first class functions... it truly staggers the imagination. I feel like if I were able to wrap my head around it I would never want to code in anything else. Thanks again and excited to take another look at it!

mlochbaum 2y ago
K, for a start. Whitney's earlier dialect A+ too. See https://aplwiki.com/wiki/First-class_function https://aplwiki.com/wiki/First-class_function .
smabie 2y ago
Don't most array languages have first class functions?
- upghost 2y ago
  They have functions but not first class functions. Think (the ability to make) a vector/matrix of functions rather than just numbers :O What could you do with that? I don't know, but I bet some pretty cool stuff.
  - bear8642 2y ago
    > What could you do with that? Just a couple quick ideas: fns ← f g h ⍝ array of function fns[condition] args ⍝ select function to run (3 0 0⌿fns) args ⍝ f f f args

BoiledCabbage 2y ago

While I've seen BQN mentioned previously on pages that discuss APL, K & J I finally took a look at it. I've got to say, it's a really impressive language. Very well thought through, it brings some nice ideas. And as someone still newer to the space, it seems to do a great job of eliminating some of the unnecessary complexity of other languages. The straightforward approach on syntax / parsing is really fresh air.