APL is one of the three longest-living programming languages. Developed in the 1960s by Kenneth E. Iverson, its concise, array-oriented notation means that it is ideal for exploratory programming. At the same time, its highly-tuned interpreter allows it to run at a speed that matches compiled C code.
The Evolution of A Programming Language
APL has continuously evolved since its inception. Today, commercial and open-source versions of APL interpreters run across multiple operating systems, and the arrays at the core of APL mean that it is well suited to parallel computing.
APL programs can combine functional, procedural and object-oriented programming and can integrate with a large (and growing) number of third-party products.
The traditional interpreted approach can be supplemented with compilers for increased optimisation, and source code management systems/file systems enable code sharing across multiple users and locations.
APL development has always been iterative and incremental, decades before the birth of the Agile movement.