I have been surreptitiously using the J programming language on the job for many years. With rare exceptions, I haven't advertised my clandestine use of J simply because it's strange and scary and nonstandard, and IT departments are filled with cowardly little bedwetters that run away like Brave Sir Robin when confronted with something really … Continue reading JETL – J Extract Transform and Load
Category: J
Using jodliterate
The JODSOURCE addon, (a part of the JOD system), contains a handy literate programming tool that enables the generation of beautiful J source code documents. The Bible, Koran, and Bhagavad Gita of Literate Programming is Donald Knuth's masterful tome of the same name. Knuth applied Literate Programming to his $latex \TeX$ systems and produced what … Continue reading Using jodliterate
More J Pandoc Syntax HighLighting
Syntax highlighting is essential for blogging program code. Many blog hosts recognize this and provide tools for highlighting programming languages. WordPress.com (this host) has a nifty highlighting tool that handles dozens of mainstream programming languages. Unfortunately, one of my favorite programming languages, J, (yes it’s a single letter name), is way out of the mainstream … Continue reading More J Pandoc Syntax HighLighting
NumPy another Iverson Ghost
During my recent SmugMug API and Python adventures I was haunted by an Iverson ghost: NumPy An Iverson ghost is an embedding of APL like array programming features in nonAPL languages and tools. You would be surprised at how often Iverson ghosts appear. Whenever programmers are challenged with processing large numeric arrays they rediscover bits of … Continue reading NumPy another Iverson Ghost
SWAG a J/EXCEL/GIT Personal Cash Flow Forecasting Mob
While browsing in a favorite bookstore with my son, I spotted a display of horoscope themed Christmas tree ornaments. The ornaments were glass balls embossed with golden birth signs like Aquarius, Gemini, Cancer, et cetera, and a descriptive phrase that “summed up” the character of people born under a sign. Below my birth sign golden … Continue reading SWAG a J/EXCEL/GIT Personal Cash Flow Forecasting Mob
Turning JOD Dump Script Tricks
Have you ever wondered how extremely prolific bloggers do it? How is it possible to crank out thousands of blog posts per year without creating a giant stinking pile of mediocre doo doo? Like most deep mysteries it's not deep and there are no mysteries. The spewers, people who post like teenage girls tweet, use … Continue reading Turning JOD Dump Script Tricks
JOD Update: Version 0.9.97*
In the last year much has changed in the J world. There are new official J 8.0x builds for all supported platforms.The QT based IDE JDE has matured and is in widespread use.The column oriented J database JD is drawing new users to J and enticing J veterans to reconsider how we use databases.There is … Continue reading JOD Update: Version 0.9.97*
Parsing the Bitcoin Genesis Block with J
The genesis block is the first block on the Bitcoin blockchain. Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious entity that created Bitcoin, mined the genesis block on January 3, 2009. It's been five years since the genesis block's birth and Satoshi is still unknown, Bitcoin is bigger than ever, and the blockchain is longer than 300,000 blocks and growing. One … Continue reading Parsing the Bitcoin Genesis Block with J
JOD Update: J 8.02 QT/JHS/64 bit Systems
I have pushed out a JOD update that makes it possible to run the addon on J 8.02 systems. In the last eight months a QT based J IDE has been developed that runs on Linux, Windows and Mac platforms. To maintain JOD’s compatibility across all versions of J from 6.02 on I had to … Continue reading JOD Update: J 8.02 QT/JHS/64 bit Systems
APL Software Archaeology .dbi Edition
Have yourself a merry little APL Christmas. I joke that my job title should be software archaeologist because I often find myself resurrecting, not refactoring, code that dates to primitive and primeval eras. The language I’m typically hired to resurrect is APL. APL, the language with funny symbols, is a software vampire. People keep paying … Continue reading APL Software Archaeology .dbi Edition