Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "RPL (programming language)" in English language version.
Several existing operating systems and languages were considered, but none could meet all of the design objectives. A new system was therefore developed, which merges the threaded interpretation of Forth with the functional approach of Lisp. The resulting operating system, known unofficially as RPL (for Reverse-Polish Lisp), made its first public appearance in June of 1986 in the HP-18C Business Consultant calculator.(NB. This title is often cited as "RPL: A Mathematics Control Language". An excerpt is available at: [3][4])
1987: HP-28C: First full RPL calculator: In the late 1980s, HP developed a new programming language for its new series of extremely powerful calculators. By combining elements of RPN, Lisp and Forth, HP came up with a language called RPL (or ROM-based Procedural Language).
RPL stands for Reverse Polish Lisp. In the early days of RPL development, we got tired of calling the unnamed system "the new system", and one of the development team came up with "RPL", both as a play on "RPN" which has been the loved/hated hallmark of HP calcs forever, and as an accurate indication of the derivation of the language from Forth and Lisp.
RPL was never particularly intended to be a public term; at the time of the HP Journal article (August 1987) on the HP 28C there was an attempt to create a less whimsical name--hence "ROM-based procedural language", which preserved the initials but had a more dignified sound. The development team never calls it anything but (the initials) RPL. You can choose either of the two full-word versions that you prefer. Or how about "Rich People's Language?" Bill Wickes, HP Corvallis.
Several existing operating systems and languages were considered, but none could meet all of the design objectives. A new system was therefore developed, which merges the threaded interpretation of Forth with the functional approach of Lisp. The resulting operating system, known unofficially as RPL (for Reverse-Polish Lisp), made its first public appearance in June of 1986 in the HP-18C Business Consultant calculator.(NB. This title is often cited as "RPL: A Mathematics Control Language". An excerpt is available at: [3][4])
1987: HP-28C: First full RPL calculator: In the late 1980s, HP developed a new programming language for its new series of extremely powerful calculators. By combining elements of RPN, Lisp and Forth, HP came up with a language called RPL (or ROM-based Procedural Language).
Several existing operating systems and languages were considered, but none could meet all of the design objectives. A new system was therefore developed, which merges the threaded interpretation of Forth with the functional approach of Lisp. The resulting operating system, known unofficially as RPL (for Reverse-Polish Lisp), made its first public appearance in June of 1986 in the HP-18C Business Consultant calculator.(NB. This title is often cited as "RPL: A Mathematics Control Language". An excerpt is available at: [3][4])
