ABC programming language

ABC is an imperative (programming) general-purpose programming language and programming environment from National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Netherlands. It is interactive, structured, high-level, and easy to learn and use, intended to be used instead of BASIC programming language, Pascal programming language, or even AWK programming language. It is not a systems-programming language but is good for teaching or prototyping.

ABC has only five basic Datatypes; strongly-typed programming language, yet without need for declarations; explicit support for top-down programming; statement nesting by indentation. Its designers claim that ABC programs are typically around a quarter the size of the equivalent Pascal or C programming language programs, and more readable.

ABC includes a programming environment with syntax-directed editing, suggestions, persistent variables, multiple workspaces, and infinite precision arithmetic.

=Example=

An example function words to collect the set of all words in a document:

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

ABC is available as an Interpreter (computer software)/Compiler, currently version 1.05.02, by Leo Geurts, Lambert Meertens, and Steven Pemberton. ABC has been ported to Unix, DOS, Atari, and Apple Macintosh.

ABC influenced the design of the Python programming language.

=References=

= External links =

*[http://www.cwi.nl/~steven/abc/ A Short Introduction to the ABC Language]