Thank you for the suggestions, but my intent may have ben unclear, it was: Insert the first row of b as third column of first matrix of a Insert the second row of b as third column of the second matrix of a
My simplification produced an index error, whereas the proposed form leads to un intended results. *The proposed forms:* c ($@] $ [ b} ,@]) a 2 7 12 17 22 27 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 More readable second form: ($a) $ b c} ,a 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 *Intended results*: b(2&{"1@])}a 0 1 0 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 10 11 2 13 14 15 16 3 18 19 20 21 4 23 24 25 26 5 28 29 I can get what I need, but sometimes making the code more readable can lead to unintended results. It seems that finding out what went wrong may not always worth the effort. In any event, I will read the definitions again, and your references more carefully. Thanks again. Sent from my iPad On 2012-05-18, at 22:02, Raul Miller <rauldmil...@gmail.com> wrote: First, I think this is the expression you are looking for: c ($@] $ [ b} ,@]) a Or, if you prefer: ($a) $ c b} ,a My guess as to the reason for this is the examples on the two pages that define item amend. http://www.jsoftware.com/help/dictionary/d530n.htm http://www.jsoftware.com/help/dictionary/d530v.htm And my guess for the cause of the difference is editing drift -- probably one was updated to a new concept where the other was not. I hope this helps, -- Raul On Fri, May 18, 2012 at 7:30 PM, Robert Cyr <robert....@gmail.com> wrote: Inserting a 2 column array in a specified column of a rank 3 array. *Given*: a=.i.2 3 5 b=.i.2 3 ]c=.2{"1 a 2 7 12 17 22 27 *This one is fine:* b(2&{"1@])}a 0 1 0 3 4 5 6 1 8 9 10 11 2 13 14 15 16 3 18 19 20 21 4 23 24 25 26 5 28 29 *But not this quite similar one*: b c }a |index error | b c}a *Why?* Sent from my iPad ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm