Source : WordNet®

ABC
     n : the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural); "he
         mastered only the rudiments of geometry" [syn: {rudiment},
          {first rudiment}, {first principle}, {alphabet}, {ABC's},
          {ABCs}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

ABC
     
        1.  An {imperative} language and programming
        environment from {CWI}, Netherlands.  It is interactive,
        structured, high-level, and easy to learn and use.  It is a
        general-purpose language which you might use instead of
        {BASIC}, {Pascal} or {AWK}.  It is not a systems-programming
        language but is good for teaching or prototyping.
     
        ABC has only five data types that can easily be combined;
        {strong typing}, yet without declarations; data limited only
        by memory; refinements to support top-down programming;
        nesting by indentation.  Programs are typically around a
        quarter the size of the equivalent {Pascal} or {C} program,
        and more readable.
     
        ABC includes a programming environment with {syntax-directed}
        editing, {suggestion}s, {persistent variable}s and multiple
        workspaces and {infinite precision} arithmetic.
     
        An example function words to collect the set of all words in a
        document:
     
           HOW TO RETURN words document:
              PUT {} IN collection
              FOR line in document:
                 FOR word IN split line:
                    IF word not.in collection:
                       INSERT word IN collection
              RETURN collection
     
        {Interpreter}/{compiler}, version 1.04.01, by Leo Geurts,
        Lambert Meertens, Steven Pemberton .
        ABC has been ported to {Unix}, {MS-DOS}, {Atari}, {Macintosh}.
     
        {Home (http://www.cwi.nl/cwi/projects/abc.html)}.
     
        {FTP eu.net (ftp://ftp.eu.net/programming/languages/abc)},
        {FTP nluug.nl (ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/programming/languages/abc)},
        {FTP uunet (ftp://ftp.uu.net/languages/abc)}.
     
        Mailing list: .
     
        E-mail: .
     
        ["The ABC Programmer's Handbook" by Leo Geurts, Lambert
        Meertens and Steven Pemberton, published by Prentice-Hall
        (ISBN 0-13-000027-2)].
     
        ["An Alternative Simple Language and Environment for PCs" by
        Steven Pemberton, IEEE Software, Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1987,
        pp. 56-64.]
     
        (1995-02-09)
     
        2.  Argument, Basic value, C?.
     
        An {abstract machine} for implementation of {functional
        language}s and its intermediate code.
     
        [P. Koopman, "Functional Programs as Executable
        Specifications", 1990].
     
        (1995-02-09)