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From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: PYGMY Forth
Message-ID: <2208.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 6 Jan 91 23:27:57 GMT
Organization: (n.) to be organized.  But that's not important right now.
Lines: 34

Category 1,  Topic 45
Message 58        Sun Jan 06, 1991
J.BLACK13 [John Black]       at 14:18 EST
 
Has anyone developed good SCAN, SKIP, or PARSE WORDS for Pygmy Forth?
 Or a Pygmy Forth way to get argv, and argc values from the DOS command line?
I've looked at some code versions of these words for Forth 83, but ignorance
of 8086 assembly language makes the code inscrutable to me.

I like Pygmy Forth because its thin rather than fat, BUT I'd like to easily be
able to add selected "fat" as I need it. Wish more selected "fat" words were
available for Pygmy. Thin is absolutely essential for writing utilities for
others to use. 128K or so taken up by a Forth system to do something needed,
but basically simple, makes Forth look cumbersome and comical.

BTW, Pygmy is nicely done and mostly user friendly  -- I'd recommend it as a
good learner system. The documentation provided with it is very useful.  It,
as all other Forths, does it own thing on some words.  I agree with most of
them.  Using FOR and NEXT and POP and PUSH rather than the more awkward
constructions they replace is nice!

Forth's strength is also its biggest impediment. Its ability to change itself
to meet the user's needs results in a multiplicity of versions that preclude
easy use of building blocks developed on other systems.  That will ensure that
only dedicated fans of the language will pursue it.  A few people really enjoy
making the bricks and cutting the lumber when they're building a house.  Most
just don't have the time for it.  I'm a fan of the language --but even I'd
like a really nice set of tools so I could get more out the door.

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