Histories of science tend to cast “old theory holdouts” as uncouth, backward, prejudiced, and stinky nitwits. If you don’t immediately jump on the shiny new science bandwagon you’re on the wrong side of history and doomed to a legacy of ridicule and disdain. Mind you, these just so histories fail to mention that most new … Continue reading Sympathy for Ptolemaic Epicyclers
Category: J
“Managing” a SQLite Database with J (Part 2)
When faced with unfamiliar program code Roger Hui, the co-creator of the J Programming Language would sometimes wipe out all the code comments. He told me this forced him to concentrate on the actual code and not the opinions of previous developers. Roger was an exceptional programmer; he knew that program comments are often dated, … Continue reading “Managing” a SQLite Database with J (Part 2)
“Managing” a SQLite Database with J (Part 1)
Previously, I promised to write three posts about dispatching irritants with J. This, my third post, is proving more irritating than the others, so I will split it over two posts. SQLite, by many estimates, is the most widely deployed SQL database system on Earth. It's everywhere. It's in your phone, your laptop, your cameras, … Continue reading “Managing” a SQLite Database with J (Part 1)
Stupid J Jupyter Tricks
Continuing with my software irritant dispatching theme: today’s irritant - including syntax colored code in blogs, LaTeX, Word, and other documents. This one is a persistent pain in the ass; especially for users of idiosyncratic programming languages. We all have our favorite hacks and workarounds; today I am sharing one of mine: using jupyter to … Continue reading Stupid J Jupyter Tricks
Branding XMP Sidecar Files with J
During my long and not-so-storied IT career I covertly dispatched “irritants” with the J programming language. An irritant is an annoying software problem that does not merit a full-blown project-style approach. The last thing you want when dealing with irritants is to drag in IT bureaucrats. You know of whom I speak: the niggling little … Continue reading Branding XMP Sidecar Files with J
JETL – J Extract Transform and Load
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
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
Click here for a PDF version of this post. 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 … 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