title: APL Component Files vs. Native Files vs. Databases
body: <p>I'm new to APL and am starting to work on an APL code base which uses APL Component Files (e.g. <code>⎕FSTIE</code>, <code>⎕FREAD</code>, <code>⎕FAPPEND</code>) heavily.  I have also been asked to research transfering the contents of these component files to an SQL database, the point of which would be to make the data available to other applications.</p>
  
  <p>A few of the file components contain text which at first glance looks as if it would work fine if stored in a native file, but the bulk of the component files mostly contain "irregular" numeric matrices which offhand strike me as something which would eventually be implemented as one DB2 table per component.  The largest so far was something like 500 rows x 20 columns. I have not (knowingly) seen any nested arrays yet, though I have only barely scratched the surface.  So far, only character text and numeric vectors and matrices.</p>
  
  <p>Would transfering the contents of these component files to Native Files also be a sensible option?  Why would one ever use APL Component Files at all?</p>
  
  <p>The APL system in use is Dyalog APL under Windows 7.  It has been around for a while, no one is sure for how long.</p>