1.
language An
imperative language and programming
environment from
CWI, Netherlands. It is interactive,
structured, high-level, and easy to learn and use. It is a
general-purpose language which you might use instead of
language but is good for teaching or prototyping.
ABC has only five data types that can easily be combined;
by memory; refinements to support top-down programming;
nesting by indentation. Programs are typically around a
quarter the size of the equivalent
Pascal or
C program,
and more readable.
An example function words to collect the set of all words in a
document:
HOW TO RETURN words document:
FOR line in document:
FOR word IN split line:
IF word not.in collection:
INSERT word IN collection
RETURN collection
["The ABC Programmer's Handbook" by Leo Geurts, Lambert
Meertens and Steven Pemberton, published by Prentice-Hall
(ISBN 0-13-000027-2)].
["An Alternative Simple Language and Environment for PCs" by
Steven Pemberton, IEEE Software, Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1987,
pp. 56-64.]
(1995-02-09)
2. language Argument, Basic value, C?.
[P. Koopman, "Functional Programs as Executable
Specifications", 1990].
(1995-02-09)