Compiling into APL
George R. Mayforth · ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad · 1981
In some programming situations APL code can become as obtuse as that of other languages. One possible way to deal with such instances is to create a high-order programming language (HOPL) which provides an easy-to-code, easy-to-maintain structure and which may be compiled straight-forwardly into APL functions for execution. Since the HOPL is designed for relatively narrow fields of use, it can be tailored directly to the problem which it solves. Two of the areas where the HOPL concept has proven useful are implementation of a simple, interactive graphics system and selection of data records from a database. We draw examples from these areas to discuss the concept and use of HOPL's.