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From: rfl@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Bob Loewenstein)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: astronomy
Message-ID: <6832@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: 21 Dec 89 16:01:17 GMT
References: <8912192334.AA04191@dxmint.cern.ch> <8912210104.AA02116@jade.berkeley.edu>
Sender: news@tank.uchicago.edu
Reply-To: rfl@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Bob Loewenstein)
Organization: U of Chicago - Astronomy & Astrophysics
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We use it here at Yerkes and we are using it for various dedicated
processors for the ARC 3.5meter at Apache Point. Until recently, the
IRTF at Mauna Kea used it, and the MMT used it when I was there
several years ago (I don't know if they still do).

While there has been a trend to move away from large scale applications,
Forth is still an excellent environment for instrument control, both
in developmental and testing situations, and in a turnkey final program.

It's also great in the lab where using a computer is just like setting
up equipment...you don't know what you need until you get some prelimnary
findings...so Forth enables you to quickly modify the program you use
to acquire data and manipulate it.
 (or at least get it into a form readable by another computer).