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From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: What's WRONG with Forth?
Message-ID: <2202.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 4 Jan 91 13:18:08 GMT
Organization: String, Scotch tape, and Paperclips.  (in Pgh, PA)
Lines: 32

Category 2,  Topic 9
Message 40        Thu Jan 03, 1991
NMORGENSTERN                 at 20:41 EST
 
 >I have been told by another forth "burnout" on another board 
 >that I will be impressed with forth..for awhile. Then, I'm
 >told, as the size and sophistication of my tasks increase, I
 >would loose my enthusiasm while trying to figure out where
 >in the hell an unexpected stack parameter causes things to
 >bomb.

I found your note interesting, especially the above comment. It confirms what
I have felt for a long time: Forth's biggest virute is its stack, and its
biggest fault is its stack. Variables are, to a large extent, unnecessary in
Forth because the stack can be used instead. Some programmers take this to an
extreme, and pride themselves on never using variables at all. They are the
ones that fall into the trap that you mention! I say: Count the ratio of words
that do something to those that juggle the stack (SWAP DUP ROT etc) If that
ratio falls below about 4:1, you had better start using some variables for
temporaries. Many Forths now have LOCALs which are even better for the
purpose.

One of the functions of this round table is to provide persons like yourself,
who live far from the supposed centers of Forth, with a forum to communicate
and to get help. Mike Christopherson in Dayton Ohio, has been programming a
commercial printer driver. He is here often on our Thursday and Sunday round
tables.
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