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From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: 1990 FORML
Message-ID: <2064.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 9 Dec 90 02:05:59 GMT
Organization: String, Scotch tape, and Paperclips.  (in Pgh, PA)
Lines: 31


 Date: 12-06-90 (13:09)              Number: 395 of 397 (Echo)
   To: CHRIS WATERS                  Refer#: 383
 From: RAY DUNCAN                      Read: NO
 Subj: 1990 FORML                    Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
 Conf: FORTH (58)                 Read Type: GENERAL (+)

 There's no doubt that Forth's interactivity and simplicity are pluses,
 looking at it as a first language.

 It also has features that are strong MINUSES when you're trying to teach
 good programming technique and provide a forgiving environment for a
 novice:

   lack of strong data typing
   lack of any effective runtime error checking
   the ability to crash the machine hopelessly with perfectly innocent
    experiments  e.g.  0 1000 ERASE
                       1234. FOO 2!  (where FOO was a simple variable)
                       0 EXECUTE

 and so on.  The very things that make Forth so powerful for a programmer
 who already knows structured techniques and safe design practices make
 the language unsuitable for a person with NO understanding of machine
 architecture and NO background in structured, modular programming.

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