Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!samsung!dali.cs.montana.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!dsl.pitt.edu!pitt!willett!ForthNet
From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Blocks vs Text files
Message-ID: <1857.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 15 Oct 90 03:06:41 GMT
Organization: String, Scotch tape, and Paperclips.  (in Pgh, PA)
Lines: 44


 Date: 10-10-90 (18:50)              Number: 5 of 10
   To: MICHAEL HAM                   Refer#: NONE
 From: CHRIS WATERS                    Read: NO
 Subj: Blocks And Files              Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
 Conf: FORTH (58)                 Read Type: GENERAL (+)

 MH/I know one programmer on the PC who writes in Forth with Sidekick
 MH/and uses Sidekick's memory-resident program as his program editor

 But it would be nice to be able to have the system show you where an
 error occured, as you easily can with a block editor.  Not to mention
 things like being able to continue a compile after an error without
 recompiling all the code that came before.  A file editor in Forth
 still seems like it would be the best solution.

 The first Forth I ever used (back around '77-'78) actually came with a
 line editor -- it didn't have blocks.  This was _before_ Fig-Forth!
 The main problem it had was that the file size was limited by
 available memory.  And of course, as your application grew, the amount
 of memory available for the file decreased.

 With larger machines and more memory, editing in memory might not be
 as much of a problem as it was back then.  This would require either a
 large model (32-bit) Forth or non-standard addressing (e.g. seg:offs
 on the 80x86), which would limit the portability.

 Best would be an editor limited by disk space, not by memory.  But can
 a decent editor like this be written in only a couple K of standard
 Forth?  It would have to be only a few K to seriously compete with
 block editors.  Trying to write such a beast is one of those projects
 I keep putting off.  I'm not sure how feasible it is, but until
 something of the type is available, I'll probably stick with blocks.
 Much as I would like to switch...

 MM 2.1a *Shiva is a punk rocker!
 ---
  * SFUTI 3.01 / (Pssssst.....Mikey's really not 29 anymore....)

 PCRelay:THECAVE -> #559 RelayNet (tm)
 4.10               The Cave (408)259-8098 12/24/96/19.2 HST/DS
-----
This message came from GEnie via willett through a semi-automated process.
Report problems to: dwp@willett.pgh.pa.us or uunet!willett!dwp