work -v Ale;
getnum -s "Area =" Area "Input Area";
col(Ale)=Area;

This doesn't work as expected. (Nothing is assigned to the column)
If I first assign another column to Ale, it works.
Example:

work -v Ale;
getnum -s "Area =" Area "Input Area";
col(Ale)=col(A);
col(Ale)=Area;

Hi...you missed something...but I missed it too! The end of the display range
for new columns defaults to 0 (row 0) so nothing was getting assigned in your
first script example. Your second script example worked because when you
executed the command

col(Ale)=col(A);

you not only assigned cell values you also set the end of the display range for
the new column Ale to be equal to the end of display range of column A. Your
implicit method for setting the end of the display range for column Ale works
fine. Alternatively, you could explicitly set the end of the display range for
column Ale by including the additional line below:

work -v Ale;
getnum -s "Area =" Area "Input Area";
set col(ale) -e 10;
col(ale)=area;