Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!texbell!sugar!ficc!peter
From: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: comma-free arrays
Keywords: array, counted string
Message-ID: <6548@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 16 Oct 89 15:10:20 GMT
References: <4075@cosmo2.UUCP>
Reply-To: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Lines: 39

In article <4075@cosmo2.UUCP> gamber@cosmo.UUCP (Johannes Teich) writes:
>      - is there a better solution to create 'comma-free' arrays?

You can use a sentinal:

	-1 data data data data data data data -1 addr array! (or arrayc!)

You can use a stack counter:

variable stackhold
: [ sp@ stackhold ! ;
: ] sp@ stackhold @ swap - ;

	[ data data data data data ] addr array!

For strings, I do this:

	" stuff" ( use " as terminator , like in ." )

	$ *stuff* ( use next char as terminator )
	.$ *stuff* ( ditto )

In FIG, " is easy:

: ($) r> count 2dup + =cells r> ;
: [$]
  word
  state @ if compile ($) here c@ else here count dup then
  1+ =cells allot ;
: $ tib @ in @ dup 1+ in ! + c@ [$] ; immediate
: " 34 [$] ; immediate
: [.$] state @ if compile type else type then ;
: .$ [compile] $ [.$] ; immediate
: ." [compile] " [.$] ; immediate
-- 
Peter da Silva, *NIX support guy @ Ferranti International Controls Corporation.
Biz: peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180. Fun: peter@sugar.hackercorp.com. `-_-'
                                                                           'U`
Quote: Structured Programming is a discipline -- not a straitjacket.      (wuf)