Re: [Bug-apl] Free APL reference documentation, any takers?

[Juergen Sauermann]

Hi,

it would be good if someone could provide the help texts. Ideally as a macro called help_def() like this:

help_def(valence, function, short_decription, long_description)

with: valence: number (0 for niladic, 1 for monadic, or 2 for dyadic)
function: String literal or just the text
short_description: String literal or just the text
long_decription: String literal or just the text

Please no comma or ; at the end of the macro, and one line per macro (no \ continuation).

Using a macro as opposed to instantiating struct has the advantage that it is easier to integrate into the C++ code of GNU APL.
It is also easier to read and makes it possible to omit the "" (for function and short_description). Have a look at the files with
extension .def in the GNU APL src directory to see how this type of macro is being used. Like  src/SystemVariable.def
which packs together figgerent properties of ⎕-Variables from which later on the )HELP texts for the ⎕-variables is derived.
For example:

help_def(1, "+B",  Conjugate, "Returns the conjugate of B")
help_def(2, "A+B", Add,       "Returns the sum of A and B")

Finally it would be good if whoever provides this is willing to release it under the GPL like all other GNU APL code.
So all the help_def macros should go into a single file, say Help.def with the usual GPL text at the beginning and
whoever has provided it as the Copyright holder.

I will then be happy to change the )HELP command to display the texts provided.

Thanks,
Jürgen

On 04/11/2017 04:34 PM, Alexey Veretennikov wrote:

Hi,

Indeed I was also thinking on creating such a documentation even in terms of notes for myself. I don't always use Emacs for GNU APL (I run it on a device where I'm not able to compile emacs but fine to compile GNU APL), so I would be happy to read this documentation from within the interpreter, for example using like
]help ⍣

or

]help ⎕FX

Br,

/Alexey

2017-04-11 10:22 GMT+02:00 Elias Mårtenson <address@hidden>:

The Emacs mode for GNU APL contains a (small) reference manual. Really nothing more than a short paragraph on most system functions, enough for the integrated documentation features to work. It's been pointed out to me that it would be nice if the documentation was more complete, particularly with examples of the use of each function in addition to the abstract explanation as to what it does.

Now, I feel that this documentation doesn't really belong in the Emacs mode. It belongs in GNU APL itself. Emacs should simply access this from the APL runtime when needed,

Thus, I would like to suggest creating an integrated reference documentation inside GNU APL itself. We could start with what I have in the Emacs mode, and then add more.

The following file contains the current documentation in the Emacs mode:

Each element contains three strings:

• Invocation type (monadic, dyadic, etc)
• Name of the function
• One-line summary of the function
• (optional) Longer description

There are two questions:

1. Is anybody willing to help out with expanding in the reference documentation?
   
2. For Jürgen, are you willing to put this into GNU APL itself instead of keeping it in the Emacs mode?

Regards,

Elias