Path: utzoo!censor!geac!maccs!innovus!rob
From: rob@innovus.UUCP (Rob Sciuk)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: Blocks VS Text a compromise
Message-ID: <238@innovus.UUCP>
Date: 19 Oct 90 19:06:36 GMT
References: <9010151631.AA11190@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <21231@well.sf.ca.us>
Reply-To: rob@innovus.UUCP (Rob Sciuk)
Organization: Innovus Inc, Hamilton, Ont. Canada
Lines: 68

In article <21231@well.sf.ca.us> jax@well.sf.ca.us (Jack J. Woehr) writes:
>ZMLEB@SCFVM.GSFC.NASA.GOV (Lee Brotzman) writes:
>
>	... stuff ...
>
>>any one time, and with block files I could just as easily edit a 5-block file
>>as a 100-block file.  Of course, on larger systems -- even PCs -- this is
>>less of a consideration.
>
>	Amen, Bro. Lee ... also, BLOCK files are the *only* truly universally
>portable file format in existence! I read Forth screens intended for ANY system
>with ANY of the twenty or so Forths that I use with no conversion.
>
>	... stuff ...

Yet another fool ... into the breach ... (not them -- me!)

WHY COMPROMISE? HAVE BOTH!!!

Yes, I have yet another homebrew implementation written in C, and designed to
be HOSTED UNDER ANY OPERATING SYSTEM.  Currently it runs under DOS, Un*x,
MPE V, and MPE XL on a number of different hardware architectures.  It is
desirable to be able to READ/WRITE/COMPILE/EDIT the operating system's favourite
file types whether they are fixed length, variable length, terminated etc etc.

BLOCK files are indispensible for writing portable DBMS applications, memory
extensions and all the neat things that a proper BLOCK file implementation
allows:

	Forth-83 words:

		 BLOCK, BUFFER, UPDATE, SAVE-BUFFERS, FLUSH

	in addition non standard words: 

		 CREATE-FILE	( strptr len --- fptr )
		 OPEN-FILE	( strptr len --- fptr )
		 ASSIGN-FILE 	( fptr --- )
		 WHICH-FILE	( --- fptr )
		 DELETE-FILE	( fptr --- )
		 CLOSE-FILE	( fptr --- )

	which allow access to block files.

Further, just three words allow use of C stream files as implemented in the
environment:

	LOAD	( strptr len --- ) 
		a non-standard word which redirects standard
		input from the file named in the quoted string on an input file
		stack N files deep.  (eg:  " myfile" LOAD )  My apologies to the
		purists who do not like non-standard WORDS, but its MY Forth, 
		and I'll implement what I like!

	OUT	( strptr len --- ) 
		a non-standard word which redirects standard
		output to the file named in the quoted string and pushes the 
		file onto an output file stack N files deep. eg: " myfile" OUT

	NOOUT	( --- ) 
		closes the current output file and pops the file stack.

Thus I use text files for compiling, and editing source code with the system
editor, and BLOCK files for use within applications.  IMHO a flexible and 
rational combination of the two methods FOR THOSE SYSTEMS WHICH RUN UNDER A 
HOST OPERATING SYSTEM.

rss.