Tacit programming: Difference between revisions

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-Tacit functions apply to implicit arguments following a small set of rules. This is in contrast to the explicit use of arguments in dfns (<source inline lang=apl>⍺ ⍵</source>) and Tradfns (which have named arguments). Known dialects which implement trains are Dyalog APL, dzaima/apl, ngn/apl and NARS2000.
+Tacit functions apply to implicit arguments following a small set of rules. This is in contrast to the explicit use of arguments in [[dfns]] (<source inline lang=apl>⍺ ⍵</source>) and [[tradfns]] (which have named arguments). Known dialects which implement trains are [[Dyalog APL]], [[dzaima/APL]], [[ngn/apl]] and [[NARS2000]].
 == Primitives ==
-All primitive functions are tacit. Some APLs allow primitive functions to be named.
+All [[primitive functions]] are tacit. Some APLs allow primitive functions to be named.
 <source lang=apl>
        plus ← +
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 times 3 plus 5
+</source>
+== Derived functions ==
+Functions derived from a monadic operator and an operand, or from a dyadic operator and two operands are tacit functions:
+<source lang=apl>
+      Sum ← +/
+      Sum ⍳10
+      Dot ← +.×
+1 4 dot 2 7 1
+</source>
+== Derived operators ==
+A dyadic operator with its right operand forms a tacit monadic operator:
+<source lang=apl>
+(+⍣2)10
+      Twice ← ⍣2
++Twice 10
 </source>
 == Trains ==
-A train is a series of functions in isolation. An isolated function is either surrounded by parentheses or named. Arguments are processed by the following rules:
+A train is a series of functions in isolation. An isolated function is either surrounded by parentheses or named. Below, <source lang=apl inline>⍺</source> and <source lang=apl inline>⍵</source> refer to the arguments of the train. <source lang=apl inline>f</source>, <source lang=apl inline>g</source>, and <source lang=apl inline>h</source> are functions (which themselves can be tacit or not), and <source lang=apl inline>A</source> is an array. The arguments are processed by the following rules:
 A 2-train is an ''atop'':
+{|
+|<source lang=apl>  (g h) ⍵</source>|| {{←→}} ||<source lang=apl>g (  h ⍵)</source>
+|-
+|<source lang=apl>⍺ (g h) ⍵</source>|| {{←→}} ||<source lang=apl>g (⍺ h ⍵)</source>
+|}
+A 3-train is a ''fork'':
+{|
+|<source lang=apl>  (f g h) ⍵</source>|| {{←→}} ||<source lang=apl>(  f ⍵) g (  h ⍵)</source>
+|-
+|<source lang=apl>⍺ (f g h) ⍵</source>|| {{←→}} ||<source lang=apl>(⍺ f ⍵) g (⍺ h ⍵)</source>
+|}
+The ''left tine'' of a fork can be an array:
+{|
+|<source lang=apl>  (A g h)</source>|| {{←→}} ||<source lang=apl>A g (  h ⍵)</source>
+|-
+|<source lang=apl>⍺ (A g h) ⍵</source>|| {{←→}} ||<source lang=apl>A g (⍺ h ⍵)</source>
+|}
+Only [[dzaima/APL]] allows <source lang=apl inline>(A h)</source>, which it treats as <source lang=apl inline>A∘h</source>.<ref>dzaima/APL: [https://github.com/dzaima/APL/blob/ceea05e25687988ed0980a4abf4b9249b736543f/docs/differences.txt#L19 Differences from Dyalog APL]. Retrieved 09 Jan 2020.</ref> See [[Bind]].
+== Examples ==
+One of the major benefits of tacit programming is the ability to convey a short, well-defined idea as an isolated expression. This aids both human readability ([[semantic density]]) and the computer's ability to interpret code, potentially executing special code for particular [[idiom]]s.
+=== Plus and minus ===
+<source lang=apl>
+      (+,-) 2     ⍝ ±2
+¯2
+(+,-) 2   ⍝ 5±2
+3
+</source>
+=== Arithmetic mean ===
+<source lang=apl>
+      (+⌿÷≢) ⍳10       ⍝ Mean of the first ten integers
+.5
+      (+⌿÷≢) 5 4⍴⍳4    ⍝ Mean of columns in a matrix
+2 3 4
+</source>
+=== Fractions ===
+We can convert decimal numbers to fractions. For example, we can convert <math>2.625</math> to the improper fraction <math>\tfrac{21}{8}</math> with
+<source lang=apl>
+      (1∧⊢,÷)2.625
+8
+</source>
+Alternatively, we can convert it to the mixed fraction <math>2\tfrac{5}{8}</math> with a mixed fraction:
 <source lang=apl>
-  (g h) ⍵ ⬄ g (  h ⍵)
+      (1∧0 1∘⊤,÷)2.625
-⍺ (g h) ⍵ ⬄ g (⍺ h ⍵)
+5 8
 </source>
-A 3-train is a ''fork'':
+=== Is it a palindrome? ===
+<source lang=apl>
+      (⌽≡⊢)'racecar'
+      (⌽≡⊢)'racecat'
+</source>
+=== Split delimited text ===
+<source lang=apl>
+      ','(≠⊆⊢)'comma,delimited,text'
+┌─────┬─────────┬────┐
+│comma│delimited│text│
+└─────┴─────────┴────┘
+      ' '(≠⊆⊢)'space delimited text'
+┌─────┬─────────┬────┐
+│space│delimited│text│
+└─────┴─────────┴────┘
+</source>
+=== Component of a vector in the direction of another vector ===
+Sometimes a train can make an expression nicely resemble its equivalent definition in traditional mathematical notation. As an example, here is a program to compute the component of a vector <math>\textbf{a}</math> in the direction of another vector <math>\textbf{b}</math>:
+:::<math>\textbf{a}_\textbf{b} = (\textbf{a}\cdot\hat{\textbf{b}})\hat{\textbf{b}}</math>
+<source lang=apl>
+      Root ← *∘÷⍨              ⍝ Nth root
+      Norm ← 2 Root +.×⍨       ⍝ Magnitude (norm) of numeric vector in Euclidean space
+      Unit ← ⊢÷Norm            ⍝ Unit vector in direction of vector ⍵
+      InDirOf ← (⊢×+.×)∘Unit   ⍝ Component of vector ⍺ in direction of vector ⍵
+5 2 InDirOf 0 0 1      ⍝ Trivial example
+0 2
+</source>
+For a more parallel comparison of the notations, see the [[Comparison_with_traditional_mathematics#Practical_example|comparison with traditional mathematics]].
+===The Number of the Beast===
+The following expression for computing the [[wikipedia:666 (number)|number of the Beast]] (and of [[I.P. Sharp]]'s APL-based email system, [[666 BOX]]) nicely illustrates how to read a train.
+<source lang=apl>
+      ((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)17 ⍝ Accursed train
+</source>
+First, <source lang=apl inline>((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×)1↓⍳)</source> is supplied with only one argument <source lang=apl inline>17</source> and is thus interpreted monadically.
+Second, <source lang=apl inline>(+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳</source> is a 4-train: reading right-to-left, the last 3 components are interpreted as the fork <source lang=apl inline>1↓⍳</source> and the 4-train is interpreted as the atop <source lang=apl inline>(+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)(1↓⍳)</source>.
+Similarly, <source lang=apl inline>(+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)</source> is also a 4-train and interpreted as the atop <source lang=apl inline>+.×⍨(⊢~∘.×⍨)</source>.
+Thus the accursed train is interpreted as <source lang=apl inline>((+.×⍨(⊢~∘.×⍨))(1↓⍳))17</source>. Having read the train, we now evaluate it monadically.
 <source lang=apl>
-  (f g h) ⍵ ⬄ (  f ⍵) g (  h ⍵)
+      ((+.×⍨(⊢~∘.×⍨))(1↓⍳))17 ⍝ Accursed train as an atop over a fork atop a fork
-⍺ (f g h) ⍵ ⬄ (⍺ f ⍵) g (⍺ h ⍵)
+      +.×⍨(⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳17       ⍝ Atop evalution
+      +.×⍨(⊢1↓⍳17)~∘.×⍨1↓⍳17  ⍝ Fork evalution
+      +.×⍨(1↓⍳17)~∘.×⍨1↓⍳17   ⍝ ⊢ evaluation
+      +.×⍨2 3 5 7 11 13 15 17 ⍝ numbers 2 through 17 without those appearing in their multiplication table are primes
+                           ⍝ the sum of the squares of the primes up to 17
 </source>
+Note that <source lang=apl inline>((⊢⍨∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)</source> is a train computing primes up to the given input.
-The ''left tine'' of a fork (but not an atop) can be an array:
+A more satisfying variation of the accursed train is the following.
 <source lang=apl>
-  (A g h) ⍵ ⬄ A g (  h ⍵)
+      (⍎⊢,⍕∘≢)'((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)'                    ⍝ Accursed train 2.0
-⍺ (A g h) ⍵ ⬄ A g (⍺ h ⍵)
+      ⍎(⊢,⍕∘≢)'((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)'                    ⍝ 4-train intepreted as an atop
+      ⍎(⊢'((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)'),⍕∘≢'((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)' ⍝ fork evaluation
+      ⍎'((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)','17'                      ⍝ ⊢ evaluation and ⍕∘≢ evaluation
+      ⍎'((+.×⍨⊢~∘.×⍨)1↓⍳)17'                         ⍝ , evaluation
+                                                  ⍝ ⍎ executes original Accursed train
 </source>
-== Expressing algorithms ==
+== External links ==
-One of the major benefits of tacit programming is the ability to convey a short, well-defined idea as an isolated expression ([https://aplwiki.com/wiki/Simple_examples#Tacit_programming example]).
+=== Tutorials ===
+* Dyalog: [http://help.dyalog.com/16.0/Content/RelNotes14.0/Function%20Trains.htm version 14.0 release notes]
+* [[APL Cultivation]]: [https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/52405/conversation/lesson-23-transcribing-to-and-reading-trains Transcribing to and reading trains]
+* [[APLtrainer]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt4lMZbn-so How to read trains in Dyalog APL code] (video)
+* [[APLtrainer]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2LqqBosvY0 Function trains in APL] (video)
+* [[Dyalog webinar]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enlh5qwwDuY?t=440 Train Spotting in Dyalog APL] (video)
+* [[Dyalog '13]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-93GzDqC08 Train Spotting in Version 14.0] (video)
+=== Documentation ===
+* [http://help.dyalog.com/16.0/Content/RelNotes14.0/Function%20Trains.htm Announcement]
+* [http://help.dyalog.com/latest/Content/Language/Introduction/Trains.htm Dyalog]
+== References ==
+<references/>
-{{APL Language}}
+{{APL syntax}}[[Category:Tacit programming| ]]

Tacit programming: Difference between revisions

Tacit programming (view source)

Revision as of 09:33, 15 May 2020

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