⎕AI gives you a way to measure elapsed time and CPU time. On 24 February 2017 at 07:29, Elias Mårtenson <loke...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree with you that extensions should, as far as possible, be in a > loadable package. > > However, some features can't be built in pure APL. Either because the > underlying functionality simply isn't there, or because an APL-based > implementation would be too slow. > > Let's take a simple example: a timer facility. I want to be able to have > an operator that evaluates an expression, giving me the time it did to run > that. Such a function is hard to impossible to write correctly in standard > APL since all you have is the ⎕TS variable, which you cannot reliably > convert to a timestamp (because of leap seconds and DST. The days-in-month > is also a problem, but can at least be managed with lots of superfluous > code). > > Hence, an extension is needed. In the case of GNU APL, that extension is > accessed through FIO∆gettimeofday. This extension can then be used to > build the necessary functionality to do timers, as well as plenty of other > things. > > Now, if you don't want to use these features, you don't have to touch the > ⎕FIO functions at all, and I really see no benefit in having a separate > version of GNU APL that does not include it. > > Now, personally I'd love to see the ability go outside of ⎕AV when > defining functions, but that one is a bit more controversial. :-) > > Regards, > Elias > > On 24 February 2017 at 11:47, Peter Teeson <peter.tee...@icloud.com> > wrote: > >> No offence intended but >> >> There seems to me to be a whole lot of accretion in the non language part >> of GNU APL. >> Useful as it may be to certain people I don’t think it’s in the elegant >> spirit of APL. >> >> What used to be a nice clean, simple and easily comprehended project is >> now >> suffering from encrustations that everyone is burdened with. >> >> Personally it would be nice to have a basic package that is simply the >> interpreter, quad fns and the system commands >> leaving the rest of the detritus in add-on packages of some form. >> >> Just my grumpy 80-year old man's opinion…<grumble grumble> >> >> with respect…. >> >> Peter >> >> >> >
