Visual APL is a next generation programming language designed for building a wide range of enterprise applications that run on the .NET Framework. The first APL designed and constructed from the ground up for the .NET framework, Visual APL is simple, modern, dynamic and type safe, and object oriented. Visual APL code is compiled as managed code, which means it benefits from the services of the common language runtime. These services include language interoperability, garbage collection, enhanced security, and improved versioning support.
There are a wealth of resources for advancing your education of Visual APL, both off and online!
If you are new to Visual APL, or even the .Net development environment in general, you can follow the step by step Visual APL Tutorial, and start programming in minutes!
You can gain a continuing education of Visual APL and the many available Microsoft .Net technologies by watching and participating in the weekly Visual APL WebCasts! After each WebCast has concluded, the presentation is converted to ScreenCast format and posted to the Visual APL ScreenCast section of the Visual APL .Net Community Website.
If you have questions about specific programming aspects or features of Visual APL, you can check out the online Visual APL Library.
If you are trying to get the hang of a Visual APL feature or .Net technology, or even just participate in community discussions, you can dive right into the Visual APL Community Forums and start posting!
If you want to take a short break while you are learning about all the features of Visual APL, you can head on over to the Concluded WebCast Intro section, where the introductory AV clip from each WebCast is posted upon completion.
Developers sometimes wonder what the .NET Framework and Visual Studio are and how they relate to Visual APL.
The .NET Framework is a development and execution environment that allows different programming languages and libraries to work together seamlessly to create Windows, Web, Mobile, or Office applications that are easier to build, manage, deploy, and integrate with other networked systems or as stand alone applications.
The .NET Framework consists of:
- The Common Language Runtime (CLR)
A language-neutral development & execution environment that provides services to help "manage" application execution
- The Framework Class Libraries (FCL)
A consistent, object-oriented library of prepackaged functionality
Visual Studio is the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that developers work inside when creating programs in one of many languages, including Visual APL, for the .NET Framework.
Before you can get started writing any code at all, you are going to need some software. Generally speaking you need two things:
- The Visual APL compiler to turn your programs into running applications.
- Some form of editor or IDE (Integrated Development Environment) in which to write your code.
Depending on your preferences there are a various tools you can use to get started. The most commonly chosen option is Visual Studio 2005.
Visual Studio 2005
Visual Studio 2005, the most productive development enviroment to build Visual APL solutions for Windows, Web, Mobile or Office applications.
You can get more information about Visual Studio 2005 here.
Want to try out Visual Studio 2005 without installing anything? If so, check out the hosted experience and virtual labs available at Microsoft.