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From: ir230@sdcc6.ucsd.edu (john wavrik)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Floating Point Controversy?
Message-ID: <17856@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>
Date: 29 Mar 91 07:47:08 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego
Lines: 54


                    Is Floating Point Controversial?

   Every time someone tries to say something good about Forth 
floating point arithmetic is brought up. It's still something of a 
mystery why this is so -- and why it's being made to sound like the 
subject of controversy. I've talked to a lot of people in the Forth 
community. It is true that many of them say that they, personally, 
rarely use floating point. But most do not have some deep seated 
opposition -- just that they don't do the kind of work that demands 
it. Most people point out, as for example recently in this newsgroup, 
that floating point packages have been readily available for Forth for 
a long time. There really doesn't seem to be anyone who opposes having 
floating point available as an optional package for those who want it. 
Lots of people think it would even be a good idea to agree that F+ 
will be the name given to addition, etc. Some are under the impression 
that the Forth Vendors Group made a floating point standard a while 
ago. 

  Making a floating point package available to add on to Forth really 
doesn't compromise the language -- and, as far as I can tell, everyone 
seems to agree. I also have not found anyone who is opposed to 
interesting new programmers in Forth (which is another thing that 
gets thrown into the pot). The only real issue is whether the 
character of Forth should be altered. I wonder if the red herring of 
floating point is being brought up to camouflage other alterations 
being made to Forth in the name of "marketablity".

  Not every characteristic of conventional languages is desirable. In 
many ways what Forth has to offer the world is some of the ways it 
differs from conventional languages. It would inspire a bit more 
confidence if the people so articulate about what they want changed 
could also articulate their understanding of qualities that should be 
preserved.

  The situation with Forth is a bit like catching your 13 year old 
daughter heading out the door with too much makeup, a skirt 6" too 
short and a blouse unbuttoned 5" too low. You tell her

    "Honey, you don't have to do that. There are guys in this 
    world who will love you for who you really are -- they 
    just haven't met you yet. And the boys you'll attract that 
    way, you don't want." 

The question that faces the Forth community right now is: do you 
really want your language picking up C programmers on street corners! 

                                                  John J Wavrik 
             jjwavrik@ucsd.edu                    Dept of Math  C-012 
                                                  Univ of Calif - San Diego 
                                                  La Jolla, CA  92093