In English
ISBN: 0-905104-22-6 (Fennica) (HelMet) (Kirjastot.fi) (Library of Congress)	Publisher: Sigma Press 1983

FORTH is a new, unusual and exciting computer language. Originally developed to control telescopes, it has since been applied in many diverse fields including the animation sequences for 'Star Wars'.

FORTH is a compact and fast language: faster than BASIC yet more flexible. It is more than just a language: it is a programming language, editor, assembler and disk operating system all rolled into one. In short, a complete 'environment'. This book describes the standard dialect of FORTH, together with numerous examples, exercises and complete programs. Read it - you'll never use BASIC again.

Table of Contents

Introducing FORTH
How is FORTH different	viii
How best to read this book	ix
For Handy Reference	xi
For Computer Professionals	xi
Chapter 1 FORTH Fundamentals
1.1 Speak FORTH	1
1.2 Stack	1
1.3 FORTH Arithmetic	2
1.4 Further FORTH Arithmetic	3
1.5 About the Numbers	4
1.6 Some DUPlication	6
1.7 More Stack Manipulation	7
1.8 Summary and Exercises	8
Chapter 2 The FORTH WORD
2.1 FORTH in Action	11
2.2 The FORTH Error	12
2.3 The FORTH Variable	13
2.4 A Closer look at VARIABLE	14
2.5 The FORTH CONSTANT	16
2.6 Summary and Exercises	17
Chapter 3 The COLON Definition
3.1 Colon Calculations	21
3.2 More Percentages	22
3.3 Colon Definition or Program?	23
3.4 Interpret?..Compile?	24
3.5 Creating tables and arrays	25
3.6 The Stack Notation Extended	27
3.7 Summary and Exercises	28
Chapter 4 FORTH Structures 1, IF
4.1 True or False?	31
4.2 The IF strucure defined	32
4.3 Nested IF structures	33
4.4 Logical Operators for Complex Conditionals	34
4.5 The Missing Comparison operations
4.6 Summary and Exercises	37
Chapter 5 FORTH Structures 2, Loops
5.1 The DO loop	41
5.2 The DO loop in action	42
5.3 Loop Calculations	43
5.4 +LOOP for interesting increments	44
5.5 Nested DO loops and other specialities	44
5.6 The UNTIL loop	46
5.7 The WHILE loop	47
5.8 FORTH structures in action	48
5.9 Summary and Excercises	49
Chapter 6 Editing, Saving and Loading FORTH programs
6.1 The FORTH LOADing concept	53
6.2 The Editor	55
6.3 More BLOCK handling	58
6.3 Vocabulary Management	60
6.4 Summary	62
Chapter 7 Number and String Input and Output
7.1 Characted input-output, the basics	65
7.2 String input-output 1	66
7.3 String input-output 2	68
7.4 Number Bases	70
7.5 Alternative number input	71
7.6 Summary	72
Chapter 8 Double Precision and beyond
8.1 Double Precision Numbers	75
8.2 Mixed Precision	77
8.3 The Return stack for High Speed Definitions	78
8.4 Formatted Number Output	80
8.5 Fixed Point Arithmetic	82
8.6 Summary	84
Chapter 9 Extending FORTH
9.1 Defining new Defining words	87
9.2 The last wornd on ARRAYs	89
9.3 A STRING variable	90
9.4 Self Modifying Data structures	93
9.5 A Closer Look at the Dictionary	94
9.6 Defining new Compiling words	97
9.7 Summary	100
Chapter 10 FORTH Finale
10.1 The Calerndar Vocabulary	103
10.1.1 Zeller's Congruence	103
10.1.2 Daynumber and day	105
10.1.3 Month, year and daysleft	106
10.1.4 The Calendar Vocabulary blocks listed	107
10.2 A Video Game Vocabulary	109
10.2.1 The Ball handling routines	110
10.2.2 Bat handling	112
10.2.3 The Squash game	112
10.2.4 The Videogame Vocabulary blocks listed	114
Bibliography	116
Answers to Problems	117
Glossary of FORTH Terminology	123
Index
FORTH Handy Reference Card