> the sample code I've seen mostly reads as noise to me ... But I'm sure one could get the same computational result with a bit more approachable syntax.
Chinese looks very strange to lots of people, but I think you should expect to get a strange look if you were to suggest Chinese reads like noise to you and then suggested, gee, you know, if they just used latin letters for everything, you would still "get the same computational result"
Where was I saying the Chinese should use latin letters?
And the fact that you can go on Google Translate and go from Chinese to English does indeed suggest you can generally get the same computational result from either language. Sure some things expresses better or more naturally in one or the other, that's to be expected.
> Where was I saying the [array languages] should use [more accessible symbols]?
I know you do not see these the same, but maybe that will help?
> you can go on Google Translate and go from Chinese to English
Yes yes. You can use arrays with python. Whoopdy-do. But you're mistaken if you think you understand what "叶公好龙" means just because you put it into Google Translate; This is Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. You have no hope when you're decoding every character and translating it into "accessible symbols" you know, and even if you can put up with it and puzzle it out with a little extra googling, you already know you don't like to do that, so why are you doing it?
I'm telling you to put up with what you're calling "noise" and learn it anyway. Don't skim it and try to "pick it up as you go" like you've undoubtedly tried and been somewhat successful at in other languages. It won't work. You will have to change. Then at some point, you won't be decoding or deciphering or "working it out" anymore, you'll just be reading. It will be much easier to talk about the benefits/weaknesses of k's choice of symbols at that point.
If you want some ideas about how to go about learning this stuff, I'm happy to give some pointers if I know a little better about what you already know and where you're at.
Translating a K expression into something much more readable won't likely help you as the language is extremely compact. So for example, translating "ab",/:\:"cd" to ((each-left (each-right concatenate)) "ab" "cd") will still be inscrutable to you. But you can experiment with k, one expression at a time, play with its builtin operators and incrementally build up knowledge. Long before you get really proficient in it, you will start appreciating its compact syntax.
Without trying you wouldn't know if you are going to love it or hate it. But at the same time, there are far too many interesting things to learn so one has to pick and choose. Ignore what the cool kids of the day are doing or the latest fads. Just do what furthers your personal goals!
Chinese looks very strange to lots of people, but I think you should expect to get a strange look if you were to suggest Chinese reads like noise to you and then suggested, gee, you know, if they just used latin letters for everything, you would still "get the same computational result"