A look at the J language: the fine line between genius and insanity (2012)
a day ago
- #programming paradigms
- #J language
- #APL family
- The author was searching for a time-series database (TSDB) and explored APL family languages, eventually focusing on J and JDB as a free alternative to KDB+.
- J is characterized by its array-oriented programming, using a unique syntax with verbs, nouns, and adverbs, which requires high attention but can lead to concise and powerful code.
- The J community is described as friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, offering strong support through interactive development environments (jgtk and JHS) and comprehensive tutorials.
- Key features of J include built-in sparse arrays, efficient memory management, and the ability to handle large datasets effectively, with packages for plotting and other utilities.
- While the author sees potential in JDB for tick data storage, they note that J may not replace R for specialized tasks like Hidden Markov models but is valuable for numerics and different programming paradigms.