Abstract
A Journal article entitled 'Is APL a viable programming language?' (Earnshaw, 1975), seemed to answer its question with a Yes. This article, written by an APL enthusiast, suggests the answer should have been No, not because APL is not viable, but because it is not a programming language. This suggestion is supported by an examination of what APL is, and of what programming is. The conclusion is drawn that programming, in the occupational sense, should be distinguished from calculation, and that APL is suited to calculation but not to programming. © 1978 The British Computer Society.