Object-oriented forth : Implementation of data structures

Serious users of Forth will be aware of the critics’ jibe that the language encourages “write-only"’ programming. Dick Pountain shows in this book how this description might soon become Outdated: a systematic approach to Duilding data structures can result in reusable debugged and tested modules of code. Improved programmer productiwiy and secunfty can be achieved without detracting from the interactivity, flexibility and unrestricted access to the hardware which make Forth so useful (particularly to those scientists and engineers who need to wrile control programs for novel hardware) The ‘added value’ in the book is that it is the first to make object oriented programming available to users of even very small home compulers illustrating a small and simple implemen- tation of whal is a very powerful methodology Whether you are an enthusiastic amateur or a professional involved in new and complex instrument Control, whether you use a home computer of a large and powerful one, every Forth programmer and implementer should read this book. Even the odd C or Fortran programmer might find it interesting! Serious users of Forth will be aware of the critic's jibe that the language encourages "write-only" programming. Dick Pountain shows in this book how this description might soon become a systematic approach to building data structures can result in reusable, debugged and tested modules of code. Whether you are an enthusiastic amateur or a professional involved in new and complex instrument control, or whether you use a home computer or a large and powerful one, every Forth programmer and implementer should read this book. Acknowledgements v Introduction 1 Standards and Notation 5 1 Records 11 2 Abstract Data Types 33 3 Lists 77 4 Memory Management Using a Heap 101 Postscript 115 Index 117