Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!willett!ForthNet
From: ForthNet@willett.UUCP (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: for us beginners?  Help
Message-ID: <1300.UUL1.3#5129@willett.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jul 90 03:01:28 GMT
Organization: String, Scotch tape, and Paperclips.  (in Pgh, PA)
Lines: 61


 Date: 07-06-90 (23:25)              Number: 3471 (Echo)
   To: CINDY BARTORILLO              Refer#: 3465
 From: CHRIS WATERS                    Read: NO
 Subj: HELP FOR BEGINNER             Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE

 CB: Can anybody recommend a good Forth implementation for me
 CB: (and where I can get it)?

 Hi Cindy,
    Wow, a name I recognise from RIME, and I'm calling a MetroLink Hub.
 Does that mean that this conference is shared with RIME as well as GENIE
 and ForthNet?  Let's get some discussion going on FORTH!!  Maybe we'll
 embarrass all those Genie people who seem to think the world revolves
 around Genie!

    Anyway, to answer your question, I use the PD Laxen & Perry Forth
 system which is very well done.  It's 83-standard, and has lots of good
 tools, including multi-tasking, on-line help (of a sort), and more.
 Good for a beginner, and has COMPLETE source code so it can be useful
 even to an old Forth hack like myself.  The latest version is 2.18.  The
 file should be called something like F83218.ZIP (Nice descriptive name,
 eh?).  I've heard some other systems recommended, but haven't tried
 them.  This one has limited file access but is quite powerful, and as
 easy to use as any Forth system I've seen.
[A version of F83 is also available on WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL under
 PD1:<MSDOS.FORTH> --dwp]

    If you can't find the file, maybe I can try to arrange a file
 transfer through RIME somehow.  I'm not a sysop, but surely we can work
 something out.  David Fox (who I've seen on several RIME conferences)
 has mentioned a couple of other Forth systems, you might want to ask
 him about it too.  Haven't got the Node ID handy, but I'll look for it.

    I've been using Forth for about 12 years.  I was a VERY early member
 of the Forth Interest Group (I still have my original issue #1 of their
 magazine 'Forth Dimensions').  My advice is to jump in and play with the
 system, and then ask if you have questions.  That's how I learned.  I
 was fortunate enough to have an excellent tutor back in the '70s (John
 James, the author of the PDP-11 Fig-Forth), but he mostly answered
 questions when I got stuck.  I'll be glad to answer any questions you
 might have and help pass the torch along.

    Good luck, and welcome to the strange and exciting world of Forth.
 I don't have a mailbox here (this isn't a RIME node), but my RIME
 address is THECHAIR, and I can be reached through the Programming
 conference there.  (And *one* of these days I'll send in my RIME
 directory entry - once I get a little more settled in.)  :)

 Chris   {R:-O}{at THECHAIR}

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