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Diffstat (limited to 'lang/snobol/DESCR')
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diff --git a/lang/snobol/DESCR b/lang/snobol/DESCR new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..1e8f3229f2c --- /dev/null +++ b/lang/snobol/DESCR @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ +This is a C implementation of the original Macro SIL (SNOBOL4 Implementation +Language) version of SNOBOL4, originally developed at ATT Bell Labs. + +SNOBOL4, primarily known as a string processing language, excels at any task +involving symbolic manipulations. The interpreter provides run-time typing, +garbage collection, user defined data types, and on-the-fly sub-interpretation +within a running program. Its primary weakness is a simple syntax, and a lack +of "structured" constructs, although many would consider these to be strengths +when compared to some "modern" and ever-changing agglomerations such as Perl. + +While not computationally speedy, it is handy for minimizing development time +and effort when creating data conversion tools. This is because of its data +manipulation functions, associative memory data structures, and an extensive +set of sophisticated built-in string pattern matching primatives. + +SNOBOL4 consists of one relatively small executable file, without the scads +of associated libraries and modules that make package management difficult. + +Although developed in the early 1960s (the SNOBOL3 primer was published by the +MIT press in 1967), some feel that it is still ahead of its time today. While +it is fully functional and extensively tested, it is no longer evolving, having +reached the desirable stable plateau in any programming language's life cycle. |