Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think!ames!pacbell!noe!marc
From: marc@noe.UUCP (Marc de Groot)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: What I really like about FORTH
Message-ID: <739@noe.UUCP>
Date: 24 Dec 89 23:31:20 GMT
References: <1088@aoa.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@noe.UUCP
Reply-To: marc@noe.UUCP (Marc de Groot)
Distribution: comp.lang.forth
Organization: Noe Systems, San Francisco
Lines: 36

In article <1088@aoa.UUCP> andy@aoa (Andy Jankevics) writes:
>We've heard a lot recently about what is unpleasant about FORTH.  I
>would like to discuss what it is about FORTH that brings us back, and
>what (for some of us) is so seductive about programming in FORTH.

In one sentence, I want to program in the language which allows me
to have the most intimate relationship possible with the computer.

LISP is as powerful as Forth, but is not low-level enough.  It also
does not run well enough on hardware I can afford to have in my home.


"LISP is the language of choice for the programmer who wants everything,
and is willing to pay for it."  -Russell Brand

I want:
	- To be able to single-step my code.
	- To be able to treat code as data.
	- To trivially extend the reserved word set.
	- To trivially modify the syntax.
	- To trivially build tools to increase productivity.

>6) I like debugging FORTH using all of the power of FORTH.  After applying
>a function to an array, I often discover that the function didn't work. -:)
>Sometimes I need to *plot* the cube root of every fifth element in the array
>versus the log of the elements in another array to help me figure out what
>happened.  Try doing this with standard high level language debuggers.

I can't say it any better than that.

^M
-- 
Marc de Groot (KG6KF)         |"...few people know what to do with a computer.
Noe Systems, San Francisco    | They decide that running an operating system
UUCP: uunet!hoptoad!noe!marc  | is a substitute for doing productive work."
Internet: marc@kg6kf.AMPR.ORG | -Chuck Moore