wls@astrovax.UUCP (William L. Sebok) (05/08/85)
Amen. A thing not mentioned there was an earlier, I believe, less official
attempt at standardization in 1977. I started programming in Forth around
1976. I had just finished getting all of my software converted to the 1977
style Forth when the 1979 standards came along. I had just finished converting
to the 1979 standards when the 1983 standards came along. I haven't even
had the stomach to try to convert to the 1983 standards. I look forward to
1987 with dread. These constant incompatible changes in the basic structure
of the language play havoc with any attempt to maintain any large base of
existing software written in that language.
--
Bill Sebok Princeton University, Astrophysics
{allegra,akgua,burl,cbosgd,decvax,ihnp4,noao,princeton,vax135}!astrovax!wlskeithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) (05/11/85)
[...............] >Amen. A thing not mentioned there was an earlier, I believe, less official >attempt at standardization in 1977. I started programming in Forth around >1976. I had just finished getting all of my software converted to the 1977 >style Forth when the 1979 standards came along. I had just finished converting >to the 1979 standards when the 1983 standards came along. I haven't even >had the stomach to try to convert to the 1983 standards. I look forward to >1987 with dread. These constant incompatible changes in the basic structure >of the language play havoc with any attempt to maintain any large base of >existing software written in that language. >-- >Bill Sebok Princeton University, Astrophysics I agree. Me? I started with a Forth-79/Starting Forth hybrid, and later decided to convert completely to FIG-Forth. FIG-Forth is the easiest and cheapest to get hold of, most public domain is FIG, and so far, I've seen no reason good enough to change. I've got 4 different systems at home, and two at work, and as much as I like the LMI Forth, there's no way I'm going to buy 83 (or whatever) versions for all 6 of these systems, especially if there is something available public domain. Keith Doyle # {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd