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[Morten|Dyalog]

Dyalog is fully compliant with the ISO 8485 standard for APL. The product includes tools to exchange APL source code with other systems. In most cases, APL algorithms will run with little or no modification. Code which handles interfaces will often need modification.

Version 12.1 includes system commands ]in and ]out, to read or write files in APL Transfer Form. Additional commands ]inx and ]outx also provide some automated translation of source code from other APL Dialects.

The User Commands manual for an overview of these tools, and the Workspace Transfer Guide for further information. The manuals can be access via the menu item Help|Documentation Centre in Dyalog version 12.0 or later, or downloaded from http://www.dyalog.com/documentation.

[adam.bierman]

Any advantages to UNIX-based Dyalog vs the Windows version?

Also, is there a way to access a Teradata database from Dyalog APL?

I ask because we're moving code from VM/CMS running APL2, with our data on DB2, to a new platform that will have all our data on Teradata. Not sure at this point whether we have a choice between UNIX vs Windows, but in case we do was wondering if there's reason to prefer one over the other.

[Morten|Dyalog]

Any advantages to UNIX-based Dyalog vs the Windows version?

Apart from the development environment and the tools available for developing GUI applications, there is no significant difference between Dyalog for Unix and Windows. Currently, the graphical development environment provides a significantly more productive environment under Windows. However, a graphical environment that can be shared by all platforms is under development and will be available for testing late this year.

Also note that Dyalog APL integrates very well with Microsoft.NET, which allows access to a very wide variety of application building blocks, web enabling tools. We are looking at extending our .NET bridge to include Java and other technologies, but the .NET interface already has ten years of maturity.

Also, is there a way to access a Teradata database from Dyalog APL?

Yes, Dyalog provides an ODBC interface under both Windows and Unix, which will be able to provide access to Teradata. There is at least one existing customer using a Teradata connection today. The ODBC/Middleware components are generally somewhat more expensive under Unix.

Not sure at this point whether we have a choice between UNIX vs Windows, but in case we do was wondering if there's reason to prefer one over the other.

Unless you have operational or security requirements that might favour Unix, I would probably recommend Windows.