Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!lll-tis!ames!pasteur!agate!ig!uwmcsd1!bbn!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!CAT.CMU.EDU!ns
From: ns@CAT.CMU.EDU (Nicholas Spies)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Advice for starting programmers...
Message-ID: <940@PT.CS.CMU.EDU>
Date: 24 Feb 88 03:17:47 GMT
References: <42507@sun.uucp> <23091@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <42814@sun.uucp>
Sender: netnews@PT.CS.CMU.EDU
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 22
Keywords: forth

The FASTEST way, except for HyperCard, to program on the Mac is to use Forth,
even if you end up programming in C or Pascal (which really isn't so bad
either). Forth is interpreted, so windows, controls, etc can be created and
moved around very quickly. Even if you don't stay with Forth, it remains
invaluable for prototyping ideas that may find eventual implementation in
another language.

Mac2 and MacForth are both good systems; the first because all Mac traps are
supported with a simple CALL interface, the second because of an MPW-like 
editor and an object-oriented extension package. NEON is also a Forth-based
object oriented language mentioned in the book "Object-Oriented Programming
for the Mac" by Schmucker (Hayden). All of these are extensible and both Forths
(at least) can make stand-alone applications. See ads in magazines for info.

It would be really interesting to see C++ for the Mac...



-- 
Nicholas Spies			ns@cat.cmu.edu.arpa
Center for Design
of Educational Computing
Carnegie Mellon University