One problem is the infamous "installed user base". Millions of lines of commercial code using error trapping and dependent upon the exact behavior of the current system. We (Dyalog) think there is a way forward by adding some additional/optional "explanatory" information in a future release, so you get both the theoretically correct error AND the helpful explanation.
Making APL friendlier to "newbies" is going to be an important focus areas for us in the years to come. Morten Kromberg Dyalog Ltd. -----Original Message----- From: Roger Hui [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 15. december 2007 19:07 To: Chat forum Subject: Re: [Jchat] making apl error messages kinder and gentler Shaw's ideas have not been adopted by any APL that I know of (APL2, Dyalog APL, APL2000, Micro APL, etc.) ----- Original Message ----- From: bill lam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Saturday, December 15, 2007 7:16 Subject: [Jchat] making apl error messages kinder and gentler To: [email protected] > In APL89, Edward J Shaw contributed a paper with this title. He > argued on the > subject "user-friendly or theoretically correct", examples > transliterated to J > > errant current(in 1998) proposed > ------------------------------------------------------------- > 3 * 'A' domain > error improper value - argument must be > numeric6 ? 5 domain > error improper value - value of left > argument may not > exceed value of the right argument > 3 + (5 syntax > error syntax error - unmatched parentheses > 2 3 + 4 5 6 length error shape error - > length of corresponding axes > must be equal > > so far nearly two decades years later there is little change, at > least in J. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
