00.Home - mattsteeldue/vforth-next GitHub Wiki

Welcome to the Next Forth wiki!

HOW TO START

  1. Download the latest .zip file from Project Download directory https://github.com/mattsteeldue/vforth-next/tree/master/download
  2. Copy from .zip file to Next's SD card the whole "vForth" directory to C:/tools/vForth, and the dot command in C:/dot 2.1. In common Linux systems, you have to mount the SD card somewhere, there is a nice how-to here: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/316401/how-to-mount-a-disk-image-from-the-command-line 2.2. In Windows systems, you better use hdfm-gooey.exe.
  3. Forth System is loaded and activated by the Basic program C:/tools/vForth/forth18_loader.bas or via dot command .vforth
  4. Previous version should be activated using the corresponding loader.

HOW TO CONTINUE

The first COLD start performs the definition AUTOEXEC which executes 11 LOAD : you are allowed to customize your system here.

To quit to Basic, you can type BYE.

To re-enter Forth with a WARM start, you have to give interactively RUN.

To re-enter Forth with a COLD start, you have to give interactively RUN 20 instead.

Dot command version hasn't a WARM start, but accepts file-name as parameter that will be executed instead of AUTOEXEC, but you can rely on PERSISTENCE definitions to restore the session where you left once you SAVE-SYSTEM.

At Basic prompt try: .vforth c:/tools/vforth/demo/fedora.f

To have a quick taste of how this FORTH evolved, you can read the archive https://www.oocities.org/matteo_vitturi/ and the attic https://sites.google.com/view/vforth/home

To learn Forth Language or for a good reference I suggest the book "Starting FORTH" - Leo Brodie (1981, Forth Inc.). PDF hopefully available here https://www.forth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Starting-FORTH.pdf : The first edition is old enough to stick on 16 bit integers numbers. In this perspective, almost all Forth source and examples described in Leo's book are available from Screen 800 upward.

Wiki content