"Of course they answer to their names?" the Gnat remarked carelessly.
"I never knew them to do it."
"What's the use of their having names," the Gnat said, "if they wo'n't
answer to them?"
"No use to them," said Alice; "but it's useful to the people
that name them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?"
"I ca'n't say," the Gnat replied. "Further on, in the wood down
there, they've got no names--however, go on with your list...."
Tabulated below are all the characters used in INTERCAL, excepting letters and digits, along with their names and interpretations. Also included are several characters not used in INTERCAL, which are presented for completeness and to allow for future expansion.
Character | Name | Use (if any) |
---|---|---|
.
|
spot | identify 16-bit variable |
:
|
two-spot | identify 32-bit variable |
,
|
tail | identify 16-bit array |
;
|
hybrid | identify 32-bit array |
#
|
mesh | identify constant |
=
|
half-mesh | |
'
|
spark | grouper |
`
|
backspark | |
!
|
wow | equivalent to spark-spot |
?
|
what | unary XOR |
"
|
rabbit-ears | grouper |
|
rabbit | equivalent to ears-spot |
|
|
spike | |
%
|
double-oh-seven | percentage qualifier |
-
|
worm | used with angles |
<
|
angle | used with worms |
>
|
right angle | |
(
|
wax | precedes line label |
)
|
wane | follows line label |
[
|
U turn | |
]
|
U turn back | |
{
|
embrace | |
}
|
bracelet | |
*
|
splat | flags invalid statements (I72) |
&
|
ampersand * | unary AND |
V
|
V (or book) | unary OR |
|
bookworm | unary XOR (I72) |
$
|
big money | binary interleave |
¢
|
change | binary interleave |
~
|
sqiggle | binary select |
_
|
flat worm | |
¯
|
overline | indicates "times 1000" |
+
|
intersection | separates list items |
/
|
slat | |
\
|
backslat | |
@
|
whirlpool | unary BUT |
¬
|
hookworm | |
^
|
shark (or simply sharkfin) | unary XOR (additive) |
|
blotch |
(I72) = Used in INTERCAL 72 only.