a quick intro to nial

Nial is an array language, like APL, J, or K, but with a more english-like syntax:

% first 10 non-negative integers;
 tell 10

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Unlike conventional languages (or even other array languages), nial has a strict left-to right evaluation order:

tell 10 * 2 + 1

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19

Of course, you can use parentheses to change the evaluation order:

sum tell 10
sum tell 10 + 1
sum (tell 10 + 1)

45
46
55

Nial's core data structure is the array. Individual items like strings and integers are treated as 0-dimensional arrays. Arrays can be nested, and individual items in the array needn't be the same type:

1 2 3 'a string' "a-symbol ['sub','array'] (tell 5)

+-+-+-+--------+--------+-----------+---------+
|1|2|3|a string|a-symbol|+---+-----+|0 1 2 3 4|
| | | |        |        ||sub|array||         |
| | | |        |        |+---+-----+|         |
+-+-+-+--------+--------+-----------+---------+

Arrays can be assigned to variables:

a := "a "cute "little "symbol "array

a cute little symbol array

And manipulated in various ways:

[tally a, min a, max a, first a, post a, post reverse a, last a]

+-+-+------+-+------+------+-----+
|5|a|symbol|a|a     |array |array|
| | |      | |cute  |symbol|     |
| | |      | |little|little|     |
| | |      | |symbol|cute  |     |
| | |      | |array |a     |     |
+-+-+------+-+------+------+-----+

You can even create arrays of functions:

% previous line again, but using an atlas;
[tally, min, max, first, post, post reverse, last] a

+-+-+------+-+------+------+-----+
|5|a|symbol|a|a     |array |array|
| | |      | |cute  |symbol|     |
| | |      | |little|little|     |
| | |      | |symbol|cute  |     |
| | |      | |array |a     |     |
+-+-+------+-+------+------+-----+

The reshape operator can turn a list of numbers into a table (or even a higher dimensional array):

i := 8 8 reshape tell 64

 0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7
 8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47
48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63

Comparisons on arrays return arrays of bits, shown as o and l in nial:

j := i eachleft in 26 21 29 41 49 50 51 52 53

oooooooo
oooooooo
oooooloo
oolooloo
oooooooo
oloooooo
ollllloo
oooooooo

With a little work, this can be an array of symbols…

f := each (op bit { if bit then phrase '▓' else phrase '░' endif }) j

░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░ ░
░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░

Reversing a 2d array works on the outermost axis:

reverse f

░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░ ░
░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░

We can chose the x-axis instead with the help of the byrows transformer.

byrows reverse f

░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░
░ ░ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ▓ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░

We can also transpose an array:

transpose f

░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ▓ ░
░ ░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░
░ ░ ▓ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░

Which of course means they can be rotated:

[bycols reverse transpose, transpose (bycols reverse) ] f

+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+
|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|
|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|░ ▓ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|
|░ ░ ▓ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░|░ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ░|
|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░|░ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|
|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░|░ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|
|░ ░ ░ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░|░ ▓ ░ ░ ▓ ▓ ░ ░|
|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ▓ ░|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|
|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░|
+-------------------------------+-------------------------------+

The misshapen boxes above reveal a lack of support for utf-8 in the Q'Nial interpreter.

Q'Nial was developed at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada. It was marketed as a commercial product during the 1980's and 90's. It was released under an open source license in 2006, but doesn't appear to be actively maintained.

The code is fairly clean and well documented, though, so I'm hoping to change that.

This little page barely scratches the surface, obviously. I mostly just wrote it to test out my emacs integration.

Stay tuned to http://www.reddit.com/r/apljk/ if you want to hear more!

emacs mode

https://github.com/tangentstorm/nial-mode

q'nial source

https://github.com/tangentstorm/qnial

q'nial website

http://www.nial.com/AboutNial.html (seemingly unmaintained…)

dictionary

dictionary.html (manually translated from an old word doc on the nial site. usable, but currently the ui is quite clunky)