The Toronto ACM Special Interest Group on APL
MAY, 1994

The Toronto ACM Special Interest Group (SIG) on APL is a professional
organization that is a chapter of the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM). The Toronto SIG was founded in the early 1980s and
became associated with the ACM in 1992.

The SIG meets once a month from September to May except for December. We
are interested in all `Array Processing Languages' and present topics of
interest to APL users, developers, implementors.

Formally, the scope of the SIG is to pursue "the scientific and
technical aspects of APL as well as the practical and theoretical
approaches to topics of interest to APL users, developers, implementors,
and theoreticians. Topics include the usage, design, environment,
development, education, and application of APL." The SIG focuses not
only on APL but on any 'Array Processing' Language.

Our monthly SIG meetings typically feature a speaker or a workshop.
These provide an opportunity for members to share ideas and learn about
industry developments. Vendors of APL products and services are
periodically invited to give demonstrations at the SIG meetings. Recent
speaker topics have highlighted developments in the Windows environment
for various APL languages, applications of APL and J to business and
graph theory research, performance analysis, APL in education, and APL
based statistical and modelling packages. There are currently over 60
paid members. In addition, the SIG maintains a mailing list of many
related companies and individuals in the Toronto area.

Our monthly newsletter, called "Gimme Arrays!", is distributed to
members and over 30 APL SIGs worldwide. "Gimme Arrays!" provides a
medium for discussion and keeps members up to date with the activities
of the Toronto and other. The monthly meetings are reviewed in the
newsletter along with other industry related articles and information.
Wealso encourage advertising of relevant products and services.

"The APL Skills Database" is maintained by the SIG to help match
employers seeking APL consultants or staff with SIG members looking for
related employment.

"The Toronto Toolkit" is a freeware library of APL utilities that are
used by APL professionals and companies around the world.

Subcommittees exist from time to time as special opportunities arise.
For example, right now there is a subcommittee to teach the J
languageand promote an understanding of its application.

Funds generated from the modest membership fee and advertising are used
to produce and distribute the newsletter, to reimburse speakers' travel
costs, and other special projects such as education seminars.

In August, 1993, the SIG hosted the 1993 international conference on
APL. Over 350 delegates attended from around the world including nine
from the former Soviet Union.

The SIG is establishing relationships with other ACM units and APL-
related industries such as the actuarial, educational, and financial
communities. We welcome participation and are particularly interested in
speakers, articles for the newsletter, or special projects.

Please consider the Toronto SIG as a partner to your personal or
professional activities! For more information contact The Toronto ACM
SIGAPL at:

  P.O. Box 384, Adelaide Street Post Office, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5C 2J5

  Chair - Cameron Linton, crl@ipsalab.tor.soliton.com, phone 416-364-5361
  Secretary and Newsletter Editor - Marc Griffiths, marcg@utcc.utoronto.ca
  Treasurer and Membership - Eric Granz, phone 416-980-7149
  Information Co-ordinator - Richard Procter, rjprocter@ipsalab.tor.soliton.com