# APL 66 Hacker News commenters recommended APL and 15 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 11 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 44 years (6 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Recommended for terse array notation, readable code and changing how you think about problems. Common caveat: its unconventional syntax is hard to read without learning the language first. ## Why people recommend it - Changes how people think about problems (4 comments): "APL warped my mind in such a way that it took almost a month to feel comfortable using anything else." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47734981)) "So the notation isn't just about readability, it's a tool for thinking about the operations." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46183808)) "It feels like a human communication tool more than any other PL I've mucked about with." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48275960)) - Readable, maintainable code once learned (4 comments): "APL allows writing some of the most readable code out there, specifically because it makes whole-application architecture imminently more visible." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48244031)) "after learning APL to a high level, it now reads like a simple, direct expression of intent" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45808013)) "I have been able to read my own code and refactor stuff I've written months ago fine" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47702471)) - Terse notation keeps context close (3 comments): "the terseness of APL helps a great deal because the required context is never far away" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46718176)) "extreme density means you can see 'more' of the program on a given page" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45804252)) "In terms of economy of notation and unified concepts, APL has no match." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47979948)) - Strong first-class array handling (3 comments): "APL is the language that invented first-class arrays, and is far more advanced at it than most of its successors" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50108339)) "APL provided me with a whole different perspective on vector style operation" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48135810)) "Learn the true power of array-like thinking and strong use of symbols." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46730098)) ## What people warn about - Unconventional syntax hard to read (4 comments): "They have friction coming from an unconventional syntax that's hard to understand without knowing the language beforehand" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47977802)) "tic-tac-toe in a single short line of code is cool—doesn't mean many people get over the syntax" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45780631)) "The only problem was, that line would then be almost impossible to read and understand!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47976497)) - Licensing and commercial cost concerns (3 comments): "neither OSS nor casually usable commercially, but instead comes under an enterprise license" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48257679)) "In the modern world there is no place for the commercial compiler." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48260338)) "if it wasn't pay to use, or just, an absolute pain to install" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46264217)) - Seen as incomplete or limited (2 comments): "the original APL has defects, due mainly to the fact that it was an incomplete programming language" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46717269)) "moderately useful conceptually, weakly useful mechanically. APL is very limited in what offers you" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48257739)) - Too dense compared with other languages (2 comments): "Perl and APL are just way too dense compared to Go and Python" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45984607)) "people decided to invent APL to be even more bizarre" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47981829)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Rust](https://hackerapproved.com/p/rust.md): 2039 recommend - [Go](https://hackerapproved.com/p/go-programming-language.md): 1254 recommend - [Python](https://hackerapproved.com/p/python.md): 1067 recommend - [Zig](https://hackerapproved.com/p/zig.md): 743 recommend - [TypeScript](https://hackerapproved.com/p/typescript.md): 574 recommend ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "APL", https://hackerapproved.com/p/apl/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).