<language> /A sharp/ A separable component of Version 2 of the AXIOM* computer algebra system. It provides a programming language with an optimising compiler, an intermediate code interpreter, and a library of data structures and mathematical abstractions. The compiler produces stand-alone executable programs, object libraries in native operating system formats, portable bytecode libraries, C and Lisp source code.
The A# programming language has support for object-oriented and functional programming styles. Both types and functions are first class values that can be manipulated with a range of flexible and composable primitives and user programs. The A# language design places particular emphasis on compilation for efficient machine code and portability.
Ports have been made to various 16, 32, and 64 bit architectures: RS/6000, SPARC, DEC Alpha, i386, i286, Motorola 680x0, S 370; several operating systems: Linux, AIX, SunOS, HP/UX, Next, Mach and other Unix systems, OS/2, DOS, Microsoft Windows, VMS and CMS; C compilers: Xlc, gcc, Sun, Borland, Metaware and MIPS C.
(07 Feb 1995)