What does "RPL" stand for...
ze...@magicnet.net
RPL? What do the 3 letters mean and represent?
Blake T. Garretson
>I know it is the programming language for the HP-48, but why is it called
>RPL? What do the 3 letters mean and represent?
The following post from 1991 explains. I think I got it from a
Goodies disk.
[Begin quoted material]
Author: [William C Wickes]
Date: Mon Mar 11 1991
RPL stands for Reverse Polish Lisp. In the early days of RPL
development, we got tired of calling the unnamed system "the new
system," and one of the development team came up with "RPL," both as a
play on "RPN" which has been the loved/hated hallmark of HP calcs
forever, and as an accurate indication of the derivation of the
language from Forth and Lisp.
RPL was never particularly intended to be a public term; at the time
of the HP Journal article (August 1987) on the HP 28C there was an
attempt to create a less whimsical name--hence "ROM-based procedural
language," which preserved the initials but had a more dignified
sound. The development team never calls it anything but (the
initials) RPL. You can choose either of the two full-word versions
that you prefer. Or how about "Rich People's Language?"
Bill Wickes
HP Corvallis
[End quoted material]
-----------------------------------------------------
Blake T. Garretson - bgar...@eng.utoledo.edu
- http://eng.utoledo.edu/~bgarrets
Jacek Marchel
>
> I know it is the programming language for the HP-48, but why is it called
> RPL? What do the 3 letters mean and represent?
I might only guess that it is an extension to the abbreviation RPN.
As you probably know (and it's is explained in HP manuals) HP
calculators work in default mode in RPN. That means that you have to
put operands first on the stack and then execute operation.
Altough it seems a little abnormal comparing to what you have been
thought in school (that is algebraic notation), in fact RPN mode
somewhat mimics natural human thought, is usually faster and do not
require parenthesis. What it needs is the learning curve, and even after
learning there is significant number of people who hate it
(but also there is large group of people who love it).
Anyway RPN stands for "Reverse Polish Notation" because it is based on
the mathematical notation developed by polish mathematician (I think,
his name was Lukasiewicz) and the only difference is that his notation
require to put operator first and then the objects. That is why HP
mode is called "reverse".
Now back to the subject. HP48 programming language is strongly bonded
to the default RPN working mode. You first code to put objects on the
stack and then perform operations on them. And that is also exactly
the natural programm flow. Therefore in my guess RPL stands for
"Reverse Polish Language". If I'm wrong, I'm sure there will be soon
better answer to your question on this forum.
With regards.
Grant Nicklin
ze...@magicnet.net wrote in message ...
>I know it is the programming language for the HP-48, but why is it called
>RPL? What do the 3 letters mean and represent?
The first letters of Reverse Polish Lisp?
Guy Macon
This has always bothered me. RPL seems a lot more like FORTH
than LISP.