ForthNet@willett.UUCP (ForthNet articles from GEnie) (01/06/90)
Date: 03-23-89 (09:37)
To: DENNIS RUFFER
From: GENE LEFAVE
Subj: ANS TC - BETWEEN THE CRAC
Dennis,
This is the first time I've checked in here, and as a long time forth
user and polyFORTH user at that, I thought I'd get my two cents in.
I think both ASCII and [ASCII] should be banned. I've always changed
either NUMBER or INTERPRET to recognize the string "x" as a number. I
can't see any benefit at all in using an extra word before a character.
It just doesn't seem to be consistent with the rest of the syntax.
A alternative solution might be a general mechanism for attaching a
user routine to NUMBER in dealing with unrecognized words. There is
really little time penalty associated with this. By the time NUMBER
gets control the dictionary has already been searched. A couple of
extra checks before aborting have little impact.
I was quite surprised when ASCII turned up in polyFORTH. It just
doesn't feel like a word that FORTH Inc would ever use. I think its
use always obscures the reading of a program rather then enhances it.
Your thought process always has to break and decide what ASCII means in
the context of some operation. "x" is always obvious and doesn't
assume a specific character representation either. It's also one of the
few prefix words I can think of that would turn up in typical
application programs.
Gene
ASCII is clutter. Like your system, I've also encountered a need for more
than one character at a time. So, 'AB' also works. But, unlike _ 01
which is $3130, '01' is $3031. I can understand the Intel order from an
implementation viewpoint, but doesn't this make comparisons more difficult in
applications?
I see no justification for a state dumb CHAR . FST blew it when they changed
' and added ['] . They had the choice of calling the state dumb tic & , and
leaving ' smart. The rest of the state smartness argument is a
misunderstanding based on the need for a state dumb tic.
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