from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
ABC
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 <[email protected]>.
ABC has been ported to {Unix}, {MS-DOS}, {Atari}, {Macintosh}.
(http://cwi.nl/cwi/projects/abc.html).
FTP eu.net (ftp://ftp.eu.net/programming/languages/abc),
FTP nluug.nl (ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/programming/languages/abc),
FTP uunet (ftp://ftp.uu.net/languages/abc).
Mailing list: <[email protected]>.
E-mail: <[email protected]>.
["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)