BBC BASIC for Windows
Programming >> Libraries >> New FORTHLIB library
http://bb4w.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=libraries&action=display&num=1255775166
New FORTHLIB library
Post by admin on Oct 17th, 2009, 10:26am

I have created a new library which allows you to incorporate Forth subroutines in a BASIC program:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bb4w/files/Libraries/FORTHLIB.BBC

Forth is much faster than BASIC, but is easier to learn (and more portable) than assembly language.

FORTHLIB contains three callable procedures:

Code:
PROC_forth_init(dictionary_size%)

Initialise the Forth subsystem with a dictionary of the specified size (bytes).

Code:
PROC_forth_compile(forthfile$)

Compile a Forth file. Usually, the first file you compile should be bb4wforth.f or an adaptation of it (perhaps with the 'welcome' message deleted).

Code:
PROC_forth_run(word$, par%)

Run a compiled Forth subroutine, with a single integer parameter. You can pass multiple parameters by CALLing _forth_run instead:

Code:
CALL _forth_run, word$, par1%, par2%, ....

Note: If any errors occur (for example the dictionary isn't big enough, or you attempt to divide-by-zero) you won't get any friendly messages, BB4W will just crash catastrophically! Forth code is best tested in BB4Wforth first.

Here's a sample program using the library:

Code:
INSTALL @lib$+"forthlib"
PROC_forth_init(100000)
PROC_forth_compile(@dir$+"bb4wforth.f")
PROC_forth_compile(@dir$+"hanoix.f")
PROC_forth_run("TOWERS",12)

Richard.