[Info-vax] Long uptime cut short by Hurricane Sandy

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <kegisd$gvg$1 at iltempo.update.uu.se>,
	Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
> On 2013-02-01 14:10, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> In article <kegdvc$fgc$1 at iltempo.update.uu.se>,
>> 	Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
> 
> [... about languages that can do string subtraction... ]
> 
>>> SNOBOL to start with.
>>> I need to check, but I think both perl and python might as well. Trying
>>> to remember what other languages I've used which have strings as a
>>> rather basic data type...
>>>
>>
>> I said real programming languages.  :-)  While SNOBOL may qualify, perl
>> and python are bad hacks at best.  Hmmm....  Now that you mention it, I
>> wonder if MUMPS (aka ANSI M) does?  Now, where did I leave that manual...
> 
>:-)
> Unfortunately my brain is mushy, as usual. Neither perl nor python 
> actually had this. I know I've seen it somewhere else, but I can't 
> recall now.
> Oh well...
> 
> And I've never used MUMPS. But you have to admit that subtracting 
> strings is not really such a weird operation. At least I know that I've 
> wished that other languages had it from time to time. And it's not 
> conceptually a big step from string concatenation using '+'.

OK, I checked.  Not only does ANSI M not use "-" for string manipulations
it also doesn't use "+".  It uses "_" for concatenation and that is the
only binary string operator listed in the Pocket Guide.

Will now have to look for a SNOBOL manual as I used SNOBOL (actually
SPITBOL) a long time ago and don't remenber this usage).

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>