I think you have to do this kind of count (and comparisons of counts) with care. For example, do you count + as one or two? Do you count o. as one or two or 27 (i:12 plus 1 for the monad)?
Also, f/ provides two families of functions. etc. etc. ----- Original Message ----- From: Devon McCormick <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, August 4, 2011 8:14 Subject: [Jprogramming] The size of J To: J-programming forum <[email protected]>, [email protected] > Hi - > > I was reading a section in "Patterns of Software" by Richard P. > Gabriel in > which he talks about "language size". This book is one of > those annoying > ones in which he seems to argue for many of the strengths of an > APL but > never, based on the parts I've read, mentions APL (though he > must have known > of it). > > In the essay on "Language Size", he talks about how the initial > implementation of Common Lisp > "...was relatively small: 772 defined symbols, including > function names, > macro names, global variables, and constants." Much of > this essay builds > the case for a small (but not too small) language being better > than a large > one. He also touches on the usefulness of arrays, in a way. > > In any case, here's my count for the size of J7: > > Vocabulary page: (*/10 4 3)-6 > Foreign#: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 > 13 15 18 128 > Foreigns: +/3 20 7 7 6 7 11 5 3 42 1 21 5 > 7 6 > > Total: +/114 151 NB. Basic vocabulary symbols + foreigns. > > +/114 114 151 NB. monads and dyads - assumes > all have both forms, but... > 379 > _24 NB. not both monadic and dyadic - above letters > on Vocabulary page... > _22 NB. not both - letters and numerals > > NB. Total: > +/114 114 151 _24 _22 NB. monads and dyads > and foreigns - univalents > 333 > > So, 333 semantic tokens in total, by my count. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
