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

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2013-02-01 16:03, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> 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).

I know of SPITBOL, but never used it. Not sure how close it is to 
SNOBOL. It's also been ages since I used SNOBOL, but I remember how 
impressed I was when I found out all the useful string manipulations you 
could do there.
Of course, it might turn out that I misremember the string substraction. 
I *know* I've seen it in other languages, but I'm always suspicious of 
my brain, since it often remembers things slightly incorrect. :-)

(Used SNOBOL on my PDP-8, many many years ago by now... Not seen a 
SNOBOL implementations since...)

	Johnny