ABC programming language
ABC is 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 programming 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:
Interpreter/compiler, version 1.05.02, by Leo Geurts[?], Lambert Meertens[?], Steven Pemberton[?] <Steven.Pemberton@cwi.nl>. ABC has been ported to Unix, MS-DOS, Atari, Macintosh.
ABC was one of the influences in the design of the Python programming language.
See also Programming
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
External links
This article (or an earlier version of it) contains material from FOLDOC, used with permission.