Re: [Bug-apl] is there a )copy ⎕fns like ⎕e x is )erase

[Kacper Gutowski]

On 2014-04-26 21:15:43, Elias Mårtenson wrote:
> On 26 April 2014 20:52, Kacper Gutowski <address@hidden> wrote:
>> ∇mean[0]
>>   R←mean B
>>   R←(+/B)÷⍴B
>> ∇
>>
>> This can be )COPY-ied many times without any problems as it enters the
>> editor with a name only and then explicitly rewrites header line at [0].
> 
> I don't like this at all. I want my APL source files to define functions as
> such:
> 
>       ∇Z←foo X
>       Z←X+1
>       ∇
>  
> I would also like to be able to reload the source files fully after making
> major changes (a simple change can be pushed by simply pressing C-c C-c on it
> of course). This means that I don't want to have any unexpected behaviour when
> doing so.

I agree this is much better when you consider legibility.
My “solution” is indeed terrible and, in fact, doesn't even work
correctly because it would fail to delete ending lines if new
definition were shorter than old one.

But still, I don't like the idea of doing things differently
because this means that it no longer has the semantics of reading and
executing files as scripts, but rather it is a fancy format for workspace.
It's undeniably useful, but distinct from what I expected.

But in the end, like I've written, in case of ∇ it may not be a problem.
I don't like it, but I don't really see how could it get in the way.  In
fact, redefining functions from scratch is closer to what you would expect
from usual scripting language (but I'm not going to postulate removal of
∇-editor altogether).

-k