System Labels

Normally, execution of an Anonymous Function/Operator (AFO) or User-Defined Function/Operator (UDFO) starts execution at line one. However, in certain contexts, execution may start at a different place depending upon the context and the presence of a System Label. These special labels start with a quad symbol so as to distinguish them from normal labels. The following table lists the system labels defined so far and the special context in which they are used.

⎕ID: is called when an identity element is needed as in foo/R where R is empty. ⎕MS: is called when an AFO/UDFO is invoked by the Multiset Operator. ⎕PRO: is called when a prototype element is needed as in foo¨R where R is empty, or L foo¨R where one of both of L or R is empty and the other is conformable.

For example, as a UDFO

    ∇ Z←{L} foo R
[1]   Z←L,R ⋄ →0
[2]   ⎕ID :Z←'Identity' ,(⎕NC 'L'),(⎕NC 'R') ⋄ →0
[3]   ⎕MS :Z←'Multiset' ,(⎕NC 'L'),(⎕NC 'R') ⋄ →0
[4]   ⎕PRO:Z←'Prototype',(⎕NC 'L'),(⎕NC 'R') ⋄ →0
    ∇

or equivalently as an AFO

      foo←{
➥0:⍺←0 ⋄ ⍺,⍵
➥⋄ ⎕ID :'Identity' ,(⎕NC '⍺'),⎕NC '⍵'
➥⋄ ⎕MS :'Multiset' ,(⎕NC '⍺'),⎕NC '⍵'
➥⋄ ⎕PRO:'Prototype',(⎕NC '⍺'),⎕NC '⍵'}
      ⎕fmt foo/⍬
┌──────────────┐
│┌8───────────┐│
││Identity 0 2││
│└────────────┘2
└∊─────────────┘
      {⍺+÷⍵ ⋄ ⎕ID:∞}/⍬
∞
      {⍺+÷⍵ ⋄ ⎕ID:∞}\7⍴1
1 2 1.5 1.666666667 1.6 1.625 1.615384615
      foo⍦ 1
Multiset 0 2
      2 foo⍦ 1
Multiset 2 2
      ⎕fmt 1 foo¨⍬
┌0──────────────┐
│┌11───────────┐│
││          0 0││
│└─────────────┘2
└∊──────────────┘
      foo/¨0⍴⊂⍬
NONCE ERROR
      foo/¨0⍴⊂⍬
         ∧

• In the Identity element case, the AFO/UDFO is called with the Reduction function's right argument prototype as the right argument to the AFO/UDFO; the left argument is undefined. For example, in foo/3 0⍴⊂⍳4, the (right) argument passed to the ⎕ID: entry point is 0 0 0 0. The return value from the AFO/UDFO is used as the common item in the result. Thus, the ⎕ID entry point is called only once even though the result may have multiple copies of the return value.

• In the Multiset case, the AFO/UDFO is called with the same argument(s) as the Multiset derived function.

• In the Prototype case, the AFO/UDFO is called with arguments that are the prototypes of the respective arguments; in the monadic case, the left argument is undefined.

• For the moment, if two or more system labels would be called at the same time (such as the last example above), a NONCE ERROR is signaled.

• This idea was taken from the paper by David A. Rabenhorst, "APL function variants and system labels", ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, APL83, Volume 13, Issue 3 (March 1983), pp. 281-284.