Programming with idioms in APL
Alan J. Perlis, Spencer Rugaber · ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad · 1979
Idioms are programming language constructs characterized by frequency of occurrence, unity of purpose, ease of recognition, and composability of use. Due to APL's conciseness and functional orientation, the language contains a large vocabulary of idioms. This paper explores the phenomenon of idioms, discusses how they can be used in teaching programming and understanding programs, and includes numerous examples of their use in practical situations.