# Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1984.

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=          The B programming language and environment.         =
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Authors:	Frank van Dijk
		Leo Geurts
		Timo Krijnen
		Lambert Meertens
		Steven Pemberton
		Guido van Rossum

		Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica
		Department of Computer Science
		POB 4079
		1900 AB  Amsterdam
		The Netherlands

Net address:	...{decvax,philabs}!mcvax!timo

Description:

B is a new programming language and environment for personal computing
being designed and implemented at the CWI.
We have tried to combine attractive features in existing systems
with some ideas of our own.

Some of the good points of B programming language proper are:
 * a powerful collection of only five different data types
   that may easily be combined;
 * strong typing, yet without declarations;
 * no limitations, apart from sheer exhaustion of memory;
 * refinements to support top-down programming;
 * nesting by indentation.

Some of the good points of the B environment are:
 * no need for files; units (procedures and functions) and global
   variables remain after logging out;
 * one consistent face is shown to the user at all times,
   whether she executes commands, edits units, or enters input to
   a program;
 * generalized undo mechanism.

The Mark 1 distribution is a full implementation of the language, with
a small environment that includes a B dedicated editor front-end to the
interpreter, variables that survive logging out, and independently
editable program units.