A#
     
         /A sharp/ A separable component of Version 2 of the
        {AXIOM*} computer algebra system.  It provides a programming
        language with an {optimising compiler}, an {intermediate code}
        {interpreter}, and a library of data structures and
        mathematical {abstraction}s.  The compiler produces
        {stand-alone executable} programs, {object} libraries in
        {native} {operating system} formats, {portable} {bytecode}
        libraries, {C} and {Lisp} {source code}.
     
        The A# programming language has support for {object-oriented}
        and {functional programming} styles.  Both types and functions
        are {first class} values that can be manipulated with a range
        of flexible and composable {primitive}s and user programs.
        The A# language design places particular emphasis on
        compilation for efficient {machine code} and portability.
     
        Ports have been made to various 16, 32, and 64 bit
        architectures: {RS/6000}, {SPARC}, {DEC Alpha}, {i386},
        {i286}, {Motorola 680x0}, {S 370}; several {operating  system}s: {Linux}, {AIX}, {SunOS}, {HP/UX}, {Next}, {Mach} and
        other {Unix} systems, {OS/2}, {DOS}, {Microsoft Windows},
        {VMS} and {CMS}; {C} compilers: {Xlc}, {gcc}, {Sun},
        {Borland}, {Metaware} and {MIPS} C.
     
        (1995-02-07)