Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!willett!ForthNet
From: ForthNet@willett.UUCP (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Selecting a Public Domain Kernel
Message-ID: <1268.UUL1.3#5129@willett.UUCP>
Date: 4 Jul 90 01:45:42 GMT
Organization: Latest link in the ForthNet chain.  (Pgh, PA)
Lines: 34


 Date: 07-01-90 (10:18)              Number: 686 (Echo)
   To: TOM PRUETT                    Refer#: 683
 From: MICHAEL HAM                     Read: NO
 Subj: SEEKING RECOMMENDATIONS-      Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE

 I have had very good experience in using LMI products and LMI support. 
 It has been particularly nice to be able to move through operating
 systems upgrades and changes with LMI in effect doing all the work of
 conversion and providing new versions of their Forth to take care of the
 operating system enhancements.

 My own use has been in single-person projects; in a team project, I
 think it will be important to do a bit more pre-coding work on the
 design to keep people in sync.  It is a trade-off--people do learn about
 the application from trying things out, and Forth is very good as a
 prototyping language because of its power and the interpretative
 implementation.  But along with the prototyping must come a common team
 understanding of the approach and style, and some control on the words. 
 Vocabularies are probably much more important in team projects to
 provide some modularization.  And I think that formal code inspections
 will be important so that people understand each other's approach and
 again to ensure a common style.  Frequent walkthroughs and inspections
 will assist in training the team and ensuring the quality of the
 application.

 One continuing challenge is to find the correct factoring--to build the
 elemental words with the widest possible application.  Thinking Forth is
 a useful text if you can locate a copy.

 NET/Mail : LMI Forth Board, Los Angeles, CA (213) 306-3530             
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