Re: Forth for education

From	"Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.forth
Subject	Re: Forth for education
Date	2013-09-20 17:09 -0400
Organization	Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID	<op.w3qaduva0e5s1z@localhost> (permalink)
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On Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:12:52 -0400, <hughaguilar96@yahoo.com> wrote:

> On Wednesday, September 18, 2013 2:08:00 PM UTC-7, Gerry wrote:
>> On 18/09/2013 14:41, Rod Pemberton wrote:
...

>> > Forth is cryptic, Forth has no syntax.
>>
>> Nonsense. Of course Forth has some syntax, if there were no syntax how
>> could a Forth interpreter make any sense of a Forth program.
>
> The smallest aspect of Forth that can be understood (an "atom" of Forth)  
> is the word, which is blank-delimited. Each word does one thing (usually  
> something simple enough to be described in a single English sentence),  
> and there are a finite number of words in the dictionary, so Forth is  
> understandable.
>

So, you cite a known issue in Forth, but decide to rant about C instead?

Ok, now you're deflecting too.

> In C, we have statements. The parts of the statement (such as the *  
> token) are not understandable outside of the context of the statement.  
> The smallest aspect of C that can be understood (an "atom" of C) is the  
> statement, but there are an infinite number of possible statements,
...

> [...] so C is not understandable.

lol.

C can be made unintelligible, but that usually via abuse of
the C preprocessor which isn't formally standardized anyway.  It
allows you to perform almost any text transformation that you'd
ever desire.  Sometimes C also becomes cryptic via layers upon
layers of code which obfuscate what is being done.

> People can familiarize themselves with C, but they can't really
> understand it.

Please...

Then, how have I been programming in it since about '92 after reading
a couple of books?  Then, how have I implemented a number of simple
compilers for it?  Then, how is it that I understand what assembly
is going to be produced?  Then, how is it that I can reduce ANSI or
C99 to K&R C correctly?  Then, how is it I know what platforms the
language can be implemented on given specifics of the architecture?

etc.

> In Forth, if you see a word that you don't know about, you just
> look it up in the ANS-Forth document.

What if it's not there?  Most Forth's aren't ANS yet...
AIR, most are Forth-83.  So, you'll be searching for a while.

> If it isn't there, then you look it up in the source-code.

I don't recall a requirement that a Forth word be provided as source.
E.g., code words might have source or might be disassemble-able, but
also might not have source available.

> If you don't know about the words that it is defined in terms of, then  
> you repeat the process with them. By comparison,
> in C you have to know quite a lot about C compilation to figure
> out what a statement does

That's not true.  The process is the same for much of C.  You just
aren't familiar with how C converts high level C to low level.

> unfortunately, it is not really possible to have a C compiler in
> your head, because they are quite complicated.

That depends on the programmer.  C doesn't have to be complicated
even for complicated tasks.  Some programmers do make a mess though,
just like in Forth...

Rod Pemberton

Thread

Forth for education visualforth@rocketmail.com - 2013-09-09 05:16 -0700
  Re: Forth for education Matthias Koch <matthias.koch@hot.uni-hannover.de> - 2013-09-09 14:59 +0200
  Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-10 04:30 -0400
    Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-10 08:00 -1000
      Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-10 21:32 -0700
        Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-11 06:22 -0400
          Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-11 11:52 +0100
            Re: Forth for education Matthias Koch <matthias.koch@hot.uni-hannover.de> - 2013-09-11 14:40 +0200
            Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-12 08:10 -0400
              Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-12 14:20 +0100
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-14 22:47 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-14 17:47 -1000
                Re: Forth for education stephenXXX@mpeforth.com (Stephen Pelc) - 2013-09-15 17:17 +0000
                Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-15 18:52 +0100
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-15 08:11 -1000
                Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-15 19:49 +0100
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-15 09:11 -1000
                Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-15 20:38 -0700
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-17 17:21 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Spam@ControlQ.com - 2013-09-17 18:01 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-17 14:31 -1000
                Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-17 22:20 -0700
                Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-17 22:23 -0700
                Re: Forth for education Bernd Paysan <bernd.paysan@gmx.de> - 2013-09-18 21:56 +0200
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-18 02:57 -0500
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-18 09:41 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-18 15:35 +0100
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-18 21:02 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-18 15:42 -1000
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 15:48 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-20 11:26 -1000
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 20:35 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-19 13:45 +0100
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 16:18 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Alex McDonald <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-20 14:06 -0700
                Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-20 17:08 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-20 12:00 -1000
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 20:10 -0400
                Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-20 23:23 -0700
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-21 13:09 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Mark Wills <markrobertwills@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-09-23 01:55 -0700
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-23 11:40 -0500
                Re: Forth for education albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2013-09-23 17:45 +0000
                Re: Forth for education anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2013-09-23 18:47 +0000
                Re: Forth for education albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2013-09-24 17:00 +0000
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-23 14:51 -0500
                Re: Forth for education albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2013-09-24 16:50 +0000
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-24 12:02 -0500
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-21 05:21 -0500
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-21 14:15 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-21 08:52 -1000
                Re: Forth for education Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2013-09-21 14:23 -0700
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-22 04:53 -0500
                Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-22 19:00 -0700
                Re: Forth for education Whammo <sidciavic@gmail.com> - 2013-09-22 21:22 -0700
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-23 08:13 -1000
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-25 04:25 -0400
                Re: Forth for education visualforth@rocketmail.com - 2013-09-24 21:38 -0700
                Re: Forth for education Rob Sciuk <rob@controlq.com> - 2013-09-23 12:07 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-23 11:50 -0500
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-25 03:58 -0400
                Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-26 09:32 -0400
                Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-27 19:35 -0700
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-28 01:08 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-28 01:09 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-25 03:21 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-25 04:00 -0500
                Re: Forth for education Brad Eckert <hwfwguy@gmail.com> - 2013-09-25 09:26 -0700
                Re: Forth for education visualforth@rocketmail.com - 2013-09-25 15:14 -0700
                Re: Forth for education Doug Hoffman <glidedog@gmail.com> - 2013-09-26 07:51 -0400
                Re: Forth for education visualforth@rocketmail.com - 2013-09-26 23:36 -0700
                Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-21 14:40 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-21 04:46 -0500
                Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-18 11:41 -0500
                Re: Forth for education Gerry Jackson <gerry@jackson9000.fsnet.co.uk> - 2013-09-18 22:08 +0100
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-18 21:10 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-18 16:20 -1000
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 16:39 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Gerry Jackson <gerry@jackson9000.fsnet.co.uk> - 2013-09-19 12:47 +0100
                Re: Forth for education Spam@ControlQ.com - 2013-09-19 11:30 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Gerry Jackson <gerry@jackson9000.fsnet.co.uk> - 2013-09-19 16:48 +0100
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 16:51 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Gerry Jackson <gerry@jackson9000.fsnet.co.uk> - 2013-09-20 23:17 +0100
                Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-21 15:19 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-25 03:31 -0400
                Re: Forth for education hughaguilar96@yahoo.com - 2013-09-18 21:12 -0700
                Re: Forth for education Mark Wills <markrobertwills@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-09-19 01:02 -0700
                Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-21 15:26 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 17:09 -0400
                Re: Forth for education anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at (Anton Ertl) - 2013-09-19 11:28 +0000
                Re: Forth for education Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2013-09-18 18:30 -0700
                Re: Forth for education "WJ" <w_a_x_man@yahoo.com> - 2013-09-19 22:51 +0000
                Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-15 14:06 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Brad Eckert <hwfwguy@gmail.com> - 2013-09-15 19:56 -0700
              Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-12 08:03 -1000
          Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-11 08:59 -1000
            Re: Forth for education albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2013-09-12 10:48 +0000
              Re: Forth for education Andrew Haley <andrew29@littlepinkcloud.invalid> - 2013-09-12 08:17 -0500
        Re: Forth for education "WJ" <w_a_x_man@yahoo.com> - 2013-09-13 12:48 +0000
          Re: Forth for education Mark Wills <markrobertwills@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-09-13 06:33 -0700
          Re: Forth for education m.a.m.hendrix@tue.nl - 2013-09-13 07:25 -0700
          Re: Forth for education visualforth@rocketmail.com - 2013-09-13 21:20 -0700
          Re: Forth for education "WJ" <w_a_x_man@yahoo.com> - 2013-09-15 09:04 +0000
            Re: Forth for education mhx@iae.nl - 2013-09-15 02:57 -0700
        Forth is not interactive "WJ" <w_a_x_man@yahoo.com> - 2013-09-20 03:32 +0000
          Re: Forth is not interactive rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-20 01:20 -0400
          Re: Forth is not interactive Whammo <sidciavic@gmail.com> - 2013-09-19 23:41 -0700
            Re: Forth is not interactive "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-19 21:45 -1000
              Re: Forth is not interactive "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 04:09 -0400
                Re: Forth is not interactive "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-19 22:21 -1000
                WJ, aka William James [was Re: Forth is not interactive] "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-20 10:55 +0100
                Re: WJ, aka William James [was Re: Forth is not interactive] Mark Wills <markrobertwills@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-09-20 06:17 -0700
                Re: WJ, aka William James [was Re: Forth is not interactive] rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-20 13:19 -0400
                Re: WJ, aka William James [was Re: Forth is not interactive] "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-20 19:45 +0100
                Re: WJ, aka William James [was Re: Forth is not interactive] rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-20 14:53 -0400
              Re: Forth is not interactive Mark Wills <markrobertwills@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-09-20 01:20 -0700
          Re: Forth is not interactive Howerd <howerdo@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-09-20 02:35 -0700
            Re: Forth is not interactive Howerd <howerdo@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-09-20 02:39 -0700
          Re: Forth is not interactive mhx@iae.nl - 2013-09-21 04:05 -0700
          Re: Forth is not interactive albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl (Albert van der Horst) - 2013-09-21 12:43 +0000
    Re: Forth for education stephenXXX@mpeforth.com (Stephen Pelc) - 2013-09-12 14:04 +0000
    Re: Forth for education "Ed" <invalid@invalid.com> - 2013-09-15 18:00 +1000
  Re: Forth for education voidvolker@gmail.com - 2013-09-14 10:41 -0700
    Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-14 10:53 -1000
  Re: Forth for education "WJ" <w_a_x_man@yahoo.com> - 2013-09-19 22:33 +0000
    Re: Forth for education visualforth@rocketmail.com - 2013-09-19 17:17 -0700
      Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 17:44 -0400
        Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-20 23:58 +0100
          Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-20 19:49 -0400
            Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-21 20:33 +0100
              Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-25 03:49 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Alex McDonald" <blog@rivadpm.com> - 2013-09-25 09:42 +0100
                Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-26 09:39 -0400
                Re: Forth for education Doug Hoffman <glidedog@gmail.com> - 2013-09-26 10:40 -0400
                Re: Forth for education "Elizabeth D. Rather" <erather@forth.com> - 2013-09-26 08:51 -1000
        Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-20 22:50 -0400
          Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-21 14:27 -0400
            Re: Forth for education rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2013-09-21 15:33 -0400
              Re: Forth for education "Rod Pemberton" <dont_use_email@nohavenotit.com> - 2013-09-25 03:37 -0400
        Re: Forth for education Paul E Bennett <Paul_E.Bennett@topmail.co.uk> - 2013-09-21 10:02 +0100

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