ABC definition
1. <computer> Atanasoff-Berry Computer.
2. <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
BASIC, Pascal or AWK. It is not a systems-programming
language but is good for teaching or prototyping.
ABC has only five data types that can easily be combined;
strong typing, yet without declarations; data limited only
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.
ABC includes a programming environment with syntax-directed
editing, suggestions, persistent variables and multiple
workspaces and infinite precision arithmetic.
An example function words to collect the set of all words in a
document:
HOW TO RETURN words document:
PUT {} IN collection
FOR line in document:
FOR word IN split line:
IF word not.in collection:
INSERT word IN collection
RETURN collection
Interpreter/compiler, version 1.04.01, by Leo Geurts,
Lambert Meertens, Steven Pemberton <Steven.Pemberton@cwi.nl>.
ABC has been ported to Unix, MS-DOS, Atari, Macintosh.
Home.
FTP eu.net,
FTP nluug.nl,
FTP uunet.
Mailing list: <abc-list-request@cwi.nl>.
E-mail: <abc@cwi.nl>.
["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?.
An abstract machine for implementation of functional
languages and its intermediate code.
[P. Koopman, "Functional Programs as Executable
Specifications", 1990].
(1995-02-09)
Nearby terms:
A&B « abbrev « Abbreviated Test Language for Avionics Systems « ABC » ABC ALGOL » ABCL/1 » ABCL/c+
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