From: gbastin@x102a.ess.harris.com (bastin gary 60293)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: $15 Forth-like Language with source in C on disk !
Date: 3 Sep 92 14:04:22 GMT
Organization: Harris GASD

meyer@dbsun.uucp (Don Meyer) writes:
: In article <1670@sousa.ltn.dec.com> secrist@kxovax.enet.dec.com (Strong datatypes for weak minds.) writes:
: > [...]  The book is called "Write Your Own Programming 
: >Language Using C++" by Norman E. Smith and is published by Wordware.
: >It was easy to turn into straight C  ...
: 
: Hopefully I'm wrong, but if it was truly easy to convert from "C++" to C
: than I suspect one of two situations exist.  Either it is an application
: that really doesn't lend itself to the strengths of C++, or it is badly
: written C++. :-(   ...

I just bought the book last weekend from the local B.Dalton's at
the mall.  It appears that:

  1.  The author wrote a mini version of Forth in C.  Left out some
      common F83 words, but captured the basic kernel.

  2.  He then decided to capitalize on the OOP craze, added cout, etc.,
      for simple I/O  in place of printf, etc., just so as to 
      get C++ in the title, instead of C.  Also, made some changes from
      C's malloc to C++'s convention for memory allocation.

  3.  He also changed ":" to "m{", ";" to "}m", and a few
      other changes to make it a macro programming language called CALC
      instead of Forth, to avoid any mention of Forth until about
      mid-way through the book. Forth is not exactly a main stream
      language.   You don't want to scare off the C++ types :-)
      (He does include a conversion table for CALC words to Forth
      words :-)

 4.  On the positive side, it does appear not to be limited to 64K
      maximum limits by avoiding a contiguous word dictionary, and 
      using a word linked list, instead. It explains the data structures 
      very well.  And it shows examples of how to extend the kernel, 
      by including the necessary stuff in the .h file, as well as in 
      the actual program.  Doesn't use blocks, but sequential files.  
      Also includes a list of references to Forth, and mentions the 
      Forth Interest Group's address.  Mentions TILE, for UNIX 
      systems, and other Forth systems.  And the price is right!

Summary: Worth the price.  Check it out!  
 
         (Besides, how many books on Forth are even in print these days?  
         Starting Forth, 2nd Ed., is no longer even stocked by 
         the distributor for The Bookstop.  Likewise, Forth, A Text 
         and Reference, Kelly & Spies, is not available, even by special 
         order, through The Bookstop.  And I can't remember the last 
         time I even saw a commercial Forth ad in Dr. Dobb's Journal, 
         or any of the other magazines.  DDJ formerly had entire issues 
         dedicated to Forth!  The last major DDJ article on Forth
         was about 2 years ago, January 1990?, on ZEN, if I remember 
         correctly.)

Gary Bastin, WB4YAF      /-/-/      Internet: gbastin@x102a.ess.harris.com
Mail Stop 22A-4858         |        phone: (407) 729-3045
Harris Corporation GASD    |        FAX:   (407) 727-5905
P.O.B. 94000, Melbourne FL 32902    Speaking from, but not for, Harris! 
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth