zabot@pompeo.dec.com (Adv.Tech.Mgr-ACT Torino) (01/09/87)
Last October Kim, Amdahl Corp., reported some info grabbed at BADGE meeting concerning JFORTH, from Delata Research. Since then I've called 415-856-3669 (Delta Research recording machine) at least a dozen times. I've also written to them. Result: nothing. Does anyone has information to share? Another vaporware house?
kim@amdahl.UUCP (Kim DeVaughn) (01/11/87)
In article <7446@decwrl.DEC.COM>, zabot@pompeo.dec.com (Adv.Tech.Mgr-ACT Torino) writes: > Last October Kim, Amdahl Corp., reported some info grabbed at BADGE > meeting concerning JFORTH, from Delata Research. > Since then I've called 415-856-3669 (Delta Research recording machine) > at least a dozen times. I've also written to them. Result: nothing. > Does anyone has information to share? Another vaporware house? No, not at all ... I don't understand their lack of response, though. I purchased JForth directly from them shortly after making that posting. In mid-November, I received a letter from them to the effect that the manual was taking longer than anticipated (doesn't documentation always?), and I shoul receive JForth in "2 or 3 weeks". JForth (v1.0) arrived on December 13th. The package included the JForth disk, an Extras disk full of demos, etc., and 308 page manual. There was also a letter from Phil Burk at Delta, apologizing for the lack of "polish" in the documentation (it was printed on an NLQ dot-matrix printer and xeroxed), and promising a free update when its all finished. In his letter, he mentions that he can also be reached on the WELL, so you might try emailing him there (...!well!plburk). I've never used Forth before, so this is a learning experience for me. With the Holidays and all, I haven't done much more than run the demos provided (menus, scrolling, paint, ham, seive, speech, etc.), and enter a few of the examples from Leo Brodie's "Starting Forth", so I can't really give you a "review" of JForth. I am pleased with the product though, and it seems to be quite fast! There are a few bugs that are pointed out in an errata sheet, and I presume these will be fixed in the new release mentioned. They are't serious enough to affect anything I'm likely to do for awhile :-)! The manual is very comprehensive, though it is a *reference* manual, not a tutorial. In addition to describing all the JForth functions (sorry, JForth words), there are chapters on debugging, rupt handling, graphics, the supplied editor, etc. The biggest shortcoming is that it doesn't have an index (sigh) ... I hope the final version will (are you listening, Delta?) One last obsevation ... I was concerned about all the various levels and dialects that seem to exist in the Forth world, and how closely (or if) JForth would look like any of them. The documentation says that JForth is most like an '83 standard forth, but that there are (normally) quite a few enhancements and differences. However, by loading the "Multistandard" file, and executing 83, the system can be made to conform exactly to the 83 Forth standard. You can also switch to other "standards", even on the fly ('79, '83, fig, and JFORTH). So the "compatibility" issue seems to be solved. Oh yeah ... learning Forth is *fun*! /kim -- UUCP: {sun,decwrl,hplabs,pyramid,ihnp4,seismo,oliveb,cbosgd}!amdahl!kim DDD: 408-746-8462 USPS: Amdahl Corp. M/S 249, 1250 E. Arques Av, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 CIS: 76535,25 [ Any thoughts or opinions which may or may not have been expressed ] [ herein are my own. They are not necessarily those of my employer. ]
dickow@ui3.UUCP (01/11/87)
/ ui3:comp.sys.amiga / zabot@pompeo.dec.com (Adv.Tech.Mgr-ACT Torino) / 8:27 am Jan 9, 1987 / Last October Kim, Amdahl Corp., reported some info grabbed at BADGE meeting concerning JFORTH, from Delata Research. Since then I've called 415-856-3669 (Delta Research recording machine) at least a dozen times. I've also written to them. Result: nothing. Does anyone has information to share? Another vaporware house? ---------- ...Odd. I spoke night before last to a guy in our PANDA user's group in Pullman about his JForth, since I am considering buying it. He reports he is very happy with the product, especially its speed. (It does have the ability to decompile, too, either dictionary or ASMBLY.) Also, it has words to simplify readablility of reverse polish stack notation, as he described it, but I didn't see any code and don't understand this aspect of it. Also, not too long ago I did talk to the folks there. Very cordial, and eager to talk and supply any information I needed. However, this may be a "small" organization (I guy...two maybe?) and this could be why the phone doesn't get answered. People gotta eat and sleep sometime ya know. Final note: some people have reported tinges of vaporware behavior from the UZB Forth people. Does it exist? ---Bob Dickow (...egg-id!ui3!dickow)