News about Dyalog

Apr 17, 2024

Since 2008, Dyalog Ltd has hosted the APL Problem Solving Competition. Whilst this yielded some great winners, several of whom have subsequently held APL internships and/or been employed as full-time APLers, we feel that it is time to try something new.

The APL Problem Solving Competition was designed to provide a testing ground for people who wanted to see what APL could do when put to the test. Although allowing people to play with APL is still relevant, we want to change our tactics in our effort to get more users. With this in mind, we are replacing the APL Problem Solving Competition with two different contests. The first of these, the APL Challenge, is aimed at newcomers to APL and was launched in February 2024. The second is the APL Forge.

The APL Forge is intended as a catalyst to grow the next generation of APL-based applications and tools by inspiring people with good ideas to use APL to turn those ideas into reality.

This annual competition asks individuals, groups, or even companies, to submit their open-source libraries or potential commercial applications/tools for assessment. Each submission can be proprietary or permissively licensed, and open- or closed-sourced, but the core must be written in a currently-supported version of Dyalog, the accompanying documentation (both internal and external) and any user interface must be available in English, and the submission cannot be something for which a licence fee has previously been paid. Full details and eligibility criteria will be available on the APL Forge webpage when it launches.

Each round runs until June, after which a new round begins. At the end of each round, one or more prizes will be awarded. Each prize comprises:

• £2,500 GBP.
• An expenses-paid opportunity to present your winning work at the next annual Dyalog user meeting; for the first round this will be Dyalog '24 in Glasgow, Scotland.
• A commercial licence, valid for one year, and assistance from us to help you take your application into production if relevant.

Like the APL Problem Solving Competition, the APL Forge is free to enter. Unlike the APL Problem Solving Competition, prize winners are not limited to those in full-time education – anyone can enter (except Dyalog employees, contractors, or those otherwise directly associated with Dyalog Ltd).

The first round of the APL Forge will launch on Monday 29 April 2024; the deadline will be Sunday 23 June 2024. Register now for news and updates, and to be notified when it starts. Please spread the word, and Good Luck!