Infinite loops and how to create them

Abstract

Infinite loops are the worst enemy of any programmer in any language. They waste potentially huge amounts of time, system resources and/or money, and can destroy the credibility of the programmer amongst colleagues or customers. In APL, infinite loops can potentially occur wherever a loop is present. However, they can also occur wherever any branching statement is used, and can even occur where no branching instructions have been used. In order to avoid infinite loops, the programmer is best equipped if he/she is aware of all of the possible ways in which they may be created. An APL function is also presented which will give programmers new to the language a means whereby most infinite loops can be avoided in their training phase.