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THE UNIFORTH SAMPLER
The UNIFORTH Sampler is a subset of the full Professional
UNIFORTH. It provides a full assembler, video editor and
software floating-point arithmetic. It supports the FORTH-83
Standard with few exceptions. You will find the Sampler to be
the equivalent of several commercial systems selling for $200 or
more.
We decided to release the Sampler into the public domain for
several reasons. First, distributing a version of UNIFORTH that
is useful, inexpensive and reproducible is a cost-effective
method of advertising. Second, it gives you a chance to try a
good FORTH system at no cost. If you don't like it, you haven't
spent a dime. If you do like it, we ask (but don't demand!) a
$25 donation, most of which will be reinvested in product
development to improve both the Sampler and the Professional.
Lastly, the Sampler includes several novel features that we feel
are useful, but want to bring before the community for
discussion.
You are encouraged to copy and distribute the Sampler to
your friends and local bulletin boards. You may use the Sampler
as the underlying language for a commercial software product. In
return, we hope that you will consider us when you need a full-
featured FORTH system or other options, and that you will spread
the word about UNIFORTH.
We can supply you with the latest disk version of the
Sampler in your 5 1/4" or 8" (CP/M) format for $35, or you can
obtain a copy from a friend or local bulletin board. Consult the
order form at the end for more details.
This manual is a much-abbreviated edition of the UNIFORTH
Manual Set. (The complete set has over 500 pages, and comes in a
custom slipcase/binder. Copies of the full set are $60.) This
manual is divided into four sections: an introduction and
advertisement for the Professional; a brief tutorial on FORTH;
some of the system-specific features of UNIFORTH; and a
vocabulary list.
The UNIFORTH Sampler is NOT a supported product and is
distributed without warranties of Merchantability and fitness for
a particular purpose. If you need support, purchase the
Professional UNIFORTH.
THE UNIFORTH SAMPLER Page 1-2
1.1 Getting Started
The Sampler is distributed on one disk. You can use the DOS
utilities COPY and DISKCOPY for backup and distribution copies.
You will find on the disk the following files:
UNIFORTH.COM The executable task image.
FORTH.FTH The default file that is opened when UNIFORTH
is executed. It contains the SYSGEN utility,
the segment utility, a game and other stuff.
VEDITOR.FTH The configuration file for the video editor.
UNIFORTH.DOC This manual.
WORDS.LST The vocabulary word list.
README.1ST If present, additional information that
should be read before using the system.
All of the features of UNIFORTH are preconfigured in the task
image. You need not "load" anything to have a working system.
UNIFORTH.COM requires a minimum of 40Kb user space, which means
that you may be tight if running on a 64Kb machine with DOS2.
The Sampler will ONLY work with DOS2, and will bomb if you try it
with DOS1. In addition, the terminal I/O assumes a good PC clone
that has a compatible BIOS ROM. If you are using an MSDOS
machine that is not a clone, you need to make one patch before
bringing the system up. Use DEBUG and change the "81" hex byte
that follows the ASCII string IOBYTE located somewhere near
address 1E6A to a "12" hex.
Now start the execution of UNIFORTH by entering
UNIFORTH
at which time you should get the Sampler startup screen. If the
screen is blank or your computer hangs up, then your system is
not PC compatible and you need to make the patch described above,
or else you have insufficient memory. If you get a message to
the effect of a missing file and an inquiry about creating it,
answer "N" and leave FORTH at the earliest opportunity. Then
make sure FORTH.FTH is on the same disk as UNIFORTH.COM.
After you get the "ok" prompt, you're into FORTH. Then
follow the tutorial or an introductory text, and learn FORTH.
There are three ways to exit UNIFORTH: enter two successive
control-C keystrokes (which aborts); enter the word END (which
has the same effect as the CTRL-C); or enter BYE (which flushes
and closes files before exiting).
THE UNIFORTH SAMPLER Page 1-1
Chapter 2
USING FORTH
The first concept to understand in using FORTH is the
entering and execution of words through the terminal. The
general rules are:
1. FORTH does not interpret a line of user input until the
user terminates the line by entering a carriage return
(<cr>).
2. You may delete the previous character by entering a
backspace (ASCII 08) or delete (ASCII 127). An ASCII
"bell" character will be output if you try to backspace
past the beginning of the line.
3. You may delete an entire line by entering a CTRL-U (the
CTRL and U keys depressed simultaneously).
4. The user may interrupt printout at any time by entering
CTRL-S. The printout is resumed when CRTL-Q is
pressed. (Some systems permit any key for resumption.)
5. You can abort a task that is actively printing by
pressing the ESCAPE key.
After pressing the return key to terminate a line of input, FORTH
will go through the line and execute every "word" in the input
line. The definition of a FORTH word is very simple:
<<<WORD DEFINITION>>>
A FORTH word is a sequence of up to
64 characters, with at least one
blank (space) on each side. The
sequence of characters may contain
any character in the ASCII set
except control characters.
UNIFORTH retains the first 31
characters and the length of the
word; any word with the first 31
characters and length identical are
not unique. All words with
identical first 31 characters and
lengths greater than or equal to 31
characters are treated as
identical.
USING FORTH Page 2-2
For example, entering the line
OK 43 24 + LIST <cr>
will cause FORTH to execute the four "words"
43 (push the number 43 on the stack)
24 (push the number 24 on the stack)
+ (add them together to get 67)
LIST (and then list block 67)
Notice the spaces between the words on the input line. You don't
need to type spaces before the first word or after the last one.
The words are executed in the order in which they were entered.
The actual execution of each word will be discussed later.
If all goes well and FORTH successfully executes each word
in the input line, then FORTH will respond with its prompt (OK).
If an error occurs, the name of the word it was executing when
the error occurred will be repeated, followed by a question mark.
2.1 The Stack
To see how FORTH does such things as manipulating data,
controlling devices, printing and accepting user's input, and
managing files, you will have to understand the mechanism that
FORTH uses to keep track of the work in progress: the STACK.
A stack (sometimes called last-in-first-out or LIFO memory)
is a device used largely in compiler writing, microprocessor
design, and HP calculators. A stack can best be compared to the
tray holders commonly used in cafeterias: the type with a spring
at the bottom to push up trays as they are used. Only the tray
most recently added is accessable; it must be removed before the
trays below it are available.
To see how this relates to FORTH, we need to experiment from
a terminal. If you type a carriage return, FORTH will respond
with
OK <cr>
OK
to indicate that it has completed your previous request (in this
case, you requested nothing) and is ready to do more. Suppose
you type a number:
OK 5 <cr>
OK
USING FORTH Page 2-3
FORTH has apparently done nothing; however, it has taken your
number (5), interpreted it as the numeric value 5 (rather than
some other word), and "pushed" it onto the stack (added a tray to
the holder).
Suppose you type a series of numbers, separated by at least
one space so FORTH can tell them apart. Basic FORTH only under-
stands 16-bit integers, i.e. numbers between -32768 and 32767
with no decimal points or other punctuation except a leading
minus sign for negative numbers:
OK 4 1 2 7 -23 6 <cr>
(We'll tell you about other number types later.) FORTH still
doesn't seem to have done anything, but the stack now contains
the original number 5, plus 6 new numbers, with the "top" value
being the number 6.
Obviously something is missing: a method of removing data
from the stack and doing something useful with it. The simplest
thing that can be done with the stack is to see what's on top
(easiest to get at). FORTH has a word, "." (dot), which takes
the number on the top of the stack, prints its value on the
terminal, and throws the number away. (We will enclose FORTH
words in quotes whenever confusion is possible). For an example
of dot:
OK 8 . <cr>
8
OK
will take the number 8, push it on the stack, then print it and
prompt for more input. Another example,
OK 8 7 . CR . <cr>
7
8
OK
will type the two top stack values on separate lines. CR is our
second learned FORTH word: it just outputs a carriage return and
line feed to the terminal.
2.2 Stack Operators
So far we can only get to the topmost stack value. As on
the HP calculators, there are words that allow us to manipulate
the stack to get at other values. The table below lists some of
the most important operators. For this and subsequent tables,
the topmost stack value is indicated by A, the next stack value
by B, and so on. The table gives the word, its function, and a
representation of the stack before and after the use of the word.
USING FORTH Page 2-4
WORD FUNCTION BEFORE AFTER
DUP copies top of stack B A B A A
SWAP reverses top two B A A B
numbers on the stack
DROP destroys top of stack B A B
OVER copies 2nd number and B A B A B
pushes it on top
ROT moves 3rd num to top C B A B A C
-ROT moves top to 3rd num C B A A C B
The usefulness of these stack manipulation words becomes
apparent when you consider the following problem: suppose
someone else has put a number on the stack and you wish to
calculate its square without knowing what it is. You could type
OK DUP * . <cr>
25
OK
By inference, the number on the stack was 5. Of course, we used
a word not defined yet to multiply the two values. So let's
digress and discuss arithmetic functions.
2.3 Arithmetic Functions
All arithmetic functions act on the stack with a method
called postfix or Reverse Polish Notation (RPN), commonly used
with the HP calculators. Rather than give extensive examples, we
will assume that you have used an RPN calculator at some time,
and just give a table of the elementary functions.
WORD FUNCTION BEFORE AFTER
ABS absolute value of top B A B |A|
of stack
NEGATE 2's complement top B A B -A
of stack
+ add top stack values B A B+A
- sub top stack values B A B-A
* mul top stack values B A B*A
/ div top stack values B A B/A
MOD remainder of division C B A C R
of B/A
MAX top two numbers dropped, C B A C MAX(A,B)
larger one put back
MIN top two numbers dropped, C B A C MIN(A,B)
smaller one put back
USING FORTH Page 2-5
An example of the use of some of these functions is to evaluate
the expression
ABS [(5+4)/2 - 20]
You would enter it with FORTH by
OK 5 4 + 2 / 20 - ABS . <cr>
16
OK
Note that the division truncates because we are using integer
arithmetic.
2.4 Logical Operators
The logical operators act upon all 16 of the bits in an
integer and leave results which involve all those bits. There
are four basic operators, three of which require two numbers on
the stack and one which acts only on the top value:
NOT one's complement of the top value.
AND bitwise "AND" of the top two values.
OR bitwise "OR" of the top two values.
XOR bitwise exclusive OR of the top two values.
The use of these definitions is most easily seen by using a
base which is a power of two. The most common of these are octal
and hexadecimal. This way there is an easily decoded relation-
ship between the value of a number and the state of its indi-
vidual bits. Type
OCTAL <cr>
FORTH is now ready to handle base 8. Typing HEX would give base
16, and DECIMAL gives base 10. Using base 8, an example of the
logical operators is
OK 453 321 AND . <cr>
1
OK
where the only bit in common between the octal numbers 453 and
321 is the least significant bit.
USING FORTH Page 2-6
2.5 Relational Operators
Relational operators compare stack values and leave a
logical truth flag; ie., a number that is either zero or one
depending on the tested condition. All relational operators
destroy the stack values they test and just leave the truth flag
on the stack. There are many of these operators because
condition testing is one of the most common functions performed
in FORTH. The table below lists the major relational operators.
WORD FUNCTION
0= If the top stack value equals zero, leaves a 1
(true); otherwise, leaves a 0 (false). Also
called NOT.
0< True if stack value is less than 0, false
otherwise.
0> True if stack value is greater than 0, false
otherwise.
< True if the next lower stack value (B) is less
than the top stack value (A), false otherwise.
= True if B is equal to A, false otherwise.
> True if B is greater than A, false otherwise.
An example of the use of some of these relational operators
is to compare
OK 8 0= 9 10 < = . <cr>
0
OK
The number 8 is compared to see if it is equal to zero. It is
not, so this operation leaves a 0 on the stack in place of the 8.
Then 9 is tested to see if it is less than 10. This is true, so
a 1 is pushed on the stack. Then the results of the previous two
operations (0 and 1) are tested to see if they are equal. The
result is 0, which is then printed. The stack is now empty.
2.6 Forth Memory Allocation
Before we go any further in examining FORTH, a little of the
nuts and bolts must be presented. FORTH is a core-resident
program that occupies approximately 24000 bytes of memory. Not
all of the allocated memory is filled under normal use; instead,
it is partitioned into subsections that can expand with the
increasing load. The partitions are:
USING FORTH Page 2-7
I. THE DICTIONARY. Nearly all of FORTH resides in the diction-
ary. The dictionary starts at about address 300 and is
composed of three contiguous sections:
a. Kernel. Core locations 300 through 8000 (bytes) hold
the FORTH kernel. This is the assembly language
program that contains the 190 most primitive FORTH
definitions; somewhat ignorant but easily teachable.
b. Basic FORTH. This section is the SYSTEM definitions,
some 200 elementary words that later definitions can
draw on.
c. Application FORTH. In this area are the definitions
for any program or utility that you load after starting
your session. This area grows upwards to higher memory
locations.
II. THE DATA STACK. The data stack contains such items as
arguments passed between routines, numbers typed in from the
terminal, system word temporary storage, etc., and is the
stack we previously talked about. This stack is placed near
the top of the FORTH program, and "grows" downward towards
lower memory locations.
III. THE RETURN STACK. Less used by the beginning programmer
(for good reason!), the return stack's primary use is to
contain addresses of the words to be executed when we
"return" from the word being currently executed. Other uses
include storage for loop parameters, and numbers that are
"in the way" on the data stack. The return stack starts
near the top of the memory allocation and grows downward in
memory. It is much smaller than the data stack (only 80 16-
bit locations), so use it sparingly and with careful
attention to the protocol.
IV. THE BLOCK BUFFERS. UNIFORTH is a disk-based system and uses
two or more buffers to bring data to and from the disk.
Each buffer is nominally 1024 bytes long.
The addresses listed above are for a Z80 CP/M system. Other
systems will have slightly different addresses.
USING FORTH Page 2-8
A diagram of how memory is allocated in core is shown below.
high limit |---------------------------|
| block buffer 2 |
|---------------------------|
| block buffer 1 |
|---------------------------|
| v |
| v return stack |
| v |
|---------------------------|
| v |
| v data stack |
| v |
^ | . . . . . . |
^ | |
^ | |
memory ^ | . . . . . . |
addresses ^ | ^ |
^ | ^ user application |
^ | ^ dictionary |
| ^ |
|---------------------------|
| |
| "standard" FORTH |
| dictionary |
| |
|---------------------------|
| |
| FORTH kernel |
| dictionary |
| |
low limit |---------------------------|
2.7 Pointer Values
FORTH has four "pointers," most of which are usually
transparent to the user. The two stack pointers have already
been mentioned. The data stack pointer can be referenced by the
word SP@, which indicates the address of the top of the stack
before SP@ was used. The return stack pointer's current value
can be obtained by the word RP@.
The dictionary pointer (DP) indicates the first free memory
address for the storage of new definitions. Its value can be
obtained by DP @ and can be changed by ALLOT, which uses the top
stack value as the number of bytes by which to increment the
pointer. Further explanation of the dictionary pointer can be
found in the User's Guide.
USING FORTH Page 2-9
The interpreter pointer (IP) is an internal register
containing the address of the next FORTH "word" to be executed.
It cannot be accessed by the programmer except with assembly
language routines. Some further information concerning the IP
can be found in the User's Guide.
2.8 Definitions
Now let's get back to our problem of squaring numbers. What
we discussed before leads into the next logical point: it would
be convenient to take a series of stack operations and
automatically call in the whole series when needed. Consider the
case of squaring a number, i.e., calculating A*A.
You can define a word to perform this function for you. Pick
a name for your word, for example, SQUARE. You can define this
word by
OK : SQUARE DUP * ; <cr>
The first thing on the line is a word which is just the
single character ":" (colon). Following it (separated by at
least one space) is the word name you are defining. Next is the
series of words you wish to have executed (DUP *). Finally, the
closing word is a semicolon, which indicates that the definition
of SQUARE is complete. The word, once defined, can now be used
like any of the well-known words, i.e.
OK 5 SQUARE . <cr>
25
OK 3 4 + SQUARE 40 - . <cr>
9
OK
Before proceeding, you should stop and consider what is
happening in more detail. The process of putting a series of
words together in a so-called "colon definition" is called
"compilation". When FORTH is processing the words inside a
definition, it does almost all the work needed to perform your
function. When the word is used, FORTH can very rapidly perform
the function you have designed.
The colon starts the compilation process by using the
following character string as the "name" of what is being
compiled. The name is stored at the beginning of the definition
in the "header section" as a count byte followed by the ASCII
characters of the name. The address of an assembly language
routine is next (the "code section") and then the information to
be processed (the "parameter section"), such as the addresses of
the FORTH words to be included in your definition. Finally, the
USING FORTH Page 2-10
semicolon turns off the compilation process and gets you back to
the "interactive execution" mode you started with. If you forget
the semicolon, any words you type after it will be thrown in with
the colon definition and not executed immediately.
Remember that the only restriction on names is that control
characters are not allowed. There is nothing sacred about a
"number" such as "7". If you want to be different you can define
: 7 5 ;
and obtain such bizarre results as
OK 7 3 + . <cr>
8
OK
The next step in defining words is to realize that there is
no distinction between "FORTH words" and "your words".
Previously, you defined the word
: SQUARE DUP * ;
Using this word you can define a routine to get the fifth power
of numbers like this:
: **5 DUP SQUARE SQUARE * ;
Now suppose you choose to redefine SQUARE. You could choose
to do this by typing
OK : SQUARE DROP 5 . ; <cr> SQUARE Redefined
OK 7 SQUARE <cr>
5
OK
Note the "Redefined" informative message that you get. However,
the new definition of SQUARE will not affect its use in the
previously defined word, **5.
OK 2 **5 . <cr>
32
OK
But if **5 is now redefined, the new definition of SQUARE is
used.
OK : **5 DUP SQUARE SQUARE * ; <cr> **5 Redefined
OK 2 **5 . <cr>
5 5 2
OK
USING FORTH Page 2-11
The behavior is governed by these two rules:
1. When you define a word, all words used within the
definition must have been previously defined.
2. Later changing a word you use within definitions will
not affect words you have already defined -- their
function will remain unchanged until you enter a new
definition for the word.
Notice that only the most recent dictionary definition of
words used within a colon definition will be used. For example,
in subsequent use, the correct definition for SQUARE is
inaccessible because another definition for SQUARE was created
later. There is a way of "forgetting" the later version of
SQUARE. The FORTH word FORGET, used like
OK FORGET SQUARE <cr>
OK
will erase from the dictionary the most recent definition of
SQUARE and all definitions made after it.
We have mentioned colon definitions. You can also define
machine language words with the word CODE, and terminate their
definition with the word END-CODE, in a similar manner as colon
and semicolon. We will mention machine language routines in more
detail in a subsequent chapter.
One other item before we leave the subject of definitions.
Besides using RPN representation, FORTH is decidedly not FORTRAN-
like in its definitions. Though these act exactly like
subroutines, they differ in that most arguments are passed on the
data stack, and that the entire definition is written
horizontally. While you can write definitions with each called
word on a separate line, it is not commonly done. This can be
confusing to the beginning programmer, but think of it as if you
were entering the line interactively.
2.9 Constants and Variables
FORTH has several words for reading from and writing to memory.
To read from memory, an address must be specified. Then "@"
(pronounced "fetch") takes that address, reads the 16-bit value
starting at that address, and places it on the stack. The word
C@ accomplishes a similar task, except that it retrieves only the
byte stored at the address, places it in the low byte of a 16-bit
location or cell which is then placed on the stack.
USING FORTH Page 2-12
<<<CELL DEFINITION>>>
A cell is a 16-bit memory location.
The low order byte is stored at the
first byte address; the high order
byte is stored at the next
consecutive byte address.
The procedure of reading (or fetching as it is more commonly
called) and then printing is used often. Therefore, a word
exists that combines both of these operations--the question mark
(?). It fetches an integer from a given address and prints it.
Two words exist to write into a specific memory location. As
for reading, the exclamation point ("!", pronounced "store")
stores a 16-bit value and C! stores the low-order byte of a 16-
bit value from the top of the stack. In both cases, the data
value and the address are removed from the stack. For example,
16432 18500 !
stores the values 16432 at address 18500.
Also in the context of definitions, you can define constants
and variables to be used in your programs. Numeric constants can
be defined with the word CONSTANT. For example,
31415 CONSTANT PI-TIMES-10000
defines the FORTH word PI-TIMES-10000. Whenever you type this
word, the constant 31415 will be pushed on the stack.
Often you find that it is awkward to have all your data on
the stack at once. You can store data in single named memory
locations with the FORTH word VARIABLE. For example,
VARIABLE Q
defines the word Q. When you type Q, the address of the storage
location corresponding to Q is pushed onto the stack. You cannot
preset this storage location during the definition as you could
with CONSTANT. You can use Q in conjunction with @ and ! to
change the contents during program execution (for instance,
updating a counter). There is a special word called tick, "'",
which allows the changing of the value of a CONSTANT. Tick
places the address of a word's parameter field (where the number
is stored for CONSTANT) on the stack. You can then change the
value using "store". For example,
31416 ' PI-TIMES-10000 !
changes PI-TIMES-10000 from 31415 to 31416.
USING FORTH Page 2-13
2.10 Typing
One of the problems with FORTH as far as users are concerned
is that there is no typing of variables. That is, once you have
defined variable XXX, the system doesn't know later whether XXX
is an integer, floating point number, or what. The advantage of
this is that less storage space and compiler overhead is
necessary, and as long as you are dealing with characters and
integers, the inconvenience is small.
The disadvantage comes into play when FORTH becomes more
complicated, and you start implementing types such as double
precision integer, string variables, etc. Because of this lack
of typing, you cannot perform mixed-mode arithmetic automatically
using a precedence scheme such as in FORTRAN.
Therefore, when using FORTH, you must keep the type of every
variable and stack member in mind, and perform the correct
operation on the numbers. For example:
+ Add the two top 16-bit stack values, assuming they
are single precision integers, and leave a 16-bit
result.
D+ Add the four top 16-bit stack values, assuming
they are two double precision (32-bit) integers,
and leave a 32-bit result.
F+ Add the four top 16-bit stack values, assuming
they are two single precision (32-bit) floating
point values, and leave a 32-bit floating point
result.
SS*D Multiply the two top 16-bit stack values assuming
they are single precision integers, and leave a
32-bit double precision integer result.
In other words, some of the work has been taken out of the
compiler or language and placed on the programmer's shoulders.
There is no inherent reason why a typed-FORTH couldn't be
created; there just has been no emphasis in this direction.
USING FORTH Page 2-14
2.11 Control Structures
Control structures allow you to modify program flow,
primarily by making decisions and causing various definitions to
execute within a colon definition.
2.11.1 Looping
Maintaining an iteration counter and causing a branch out of
the loop when a preset value is reached is a very fundamental
software feature. FORTH provides the DO and LOOP words for this.
When making a loop, you usually know the starting value and
the number of repetitions desired. When you sum these, you get
the total. DO expects to find two parameters on the stack, the
total and the starting value:
[total] [start] DO [things to be done] LOOP
As an example, consider a definition to print out 5 numbers.
If we start with 1, then the total is 6, and our definition is:
: PRINT_FIVE 6 1 DO . LOOP ; <cr>
This definition expects to find 5 numbers on the stack.
OK 34 5 2 6 -3 PRINT_FIVE <cr>
-3 6 2 5 34
OK
Other languages use the starting value and the ending value
as the loop limits, and switch the order of the limits. These
variances are matters of preference.
Often it is useful to have a word to access the iteration
counter, and FORTH provides several of them as indicated below.
WORD FUNCTION
I Push the value of the iteration counter of
the innermost loop onto the stack.
J Push the value of the next outermost loop
counter onto the stack (i.e.,2 nested
loops).
I- Subtract the value of the innermost counter
from the value on the stack.
I+ Add the value of the innermost counter to
the value on the stack.
USING FORTH Page 2-15
Consider a loop to print the numbers from 1 to 10:
OK : 10_#'S 11 1 DO I . LOOP ; <cr>
When executed, 10_#'S will give
OK 10_#'S <cr>
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
OK
Since DO expects to find the iteration parameters on the
stack at execution time, you can wait until then to define them.
A general, ascending order, number printing routine might be:
OK : GEN_ASC_ORD DO I . LOOP ; <cr>
When executed, this word expects to find the DO parameters on the
stack:
OK 11 1 GEN_ASC_ORD <cr>
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
OK
Since one normally thinks of these parameters as [start]
[finish] rather than the order that DO prefers, and further since
[finish] is often preferred over [finish+1], try this:
: LIMITS 1+ SWAP ;
The 1+ adds 1 to [finish] and SWAP puts [start] and [finish] in
the correct order for a DO. In other words, you have created a
"preprocessor" for DO-LOOPS. This is rarely done with most
languages, but if you expect to use this a few times the
convenience pays off in FORTH.
OK : GEN_#_PRINT LIMITS DO I . LOOP ; <cr>
In use, this gives:
OK 1 5 GEN_#_PRINT <cr>
1 2 3 4 5
OK
USING FORTH Page 2-16
2.11.2 Conditional branching
Conditionals traditionally allow some value to be tested and
a branch to occur based upon the test. FORTH allows one- and
two-sided conditional branches.
The IF word and the THEN word are the simplest cases. IF
will cause the definitions between it and THEN to execute
provided the top stack value (TOS) is logical true (or really,
not equal to zero). If the TOS is zero, FORTH will skip to
execute the words following the THEN word. For example,
OK : USE_IF IF 1 . THEN 2 . ; <cr>
When executed, this definition will give
OK 1 USE_IF <cr>
1 2
OK 0 USE_IF <cr>
2
OK
IF always removes the logical quantity it tests from the stack.
Another word, ELSE, allows one of two branches to be taken.
As an example:
OK : USE_ELSE IF 1 . ELSE 0 . THEN ; <cr>
If 0 is on the stack, the ELSE-clause will be executed; if
a number other than 0 is on the stack, the TRUE-clause will be
executed, as in
OK 0 USE_ELSE <cr>
0
OK 4 USE_ELSE <cr>
1
OK
The ELSE portion executes if TOS is false, or 0. In either case,
the definition after THEN executes. In the preceding example,
the compiler operator ";" will execute. It will signal both the
end of the definition at compile time, and perform house-cleaning
at the end of the definition at execute time.
USING FORTH Page 2-17
2.11.3 Block structure branching
FORTH also provides a block structure which is essentially a
loop without an iteration counter. It is of the form:
BEGIN [good stuff] [flag] UNTIL
BEGIN is a place holder and marks the beginning of the
block. UNTIL tests for a true or false TOS, and if false trans-
fers back to the word following BEGIN. If true, the word fol-
lowing UNTIL will execute. UNTIL will remove its logical quan-
tity from the stack.
2.12 And so Forth....
You now have seen most of the basics of FORTH, along with
some examples. The best way to learn more at this stage is to
sit at a terminal and practice!
USING FORTH Page 2-1
Chapter 3
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH
As mentioned earlier, the Sampler is a subset of our
commercial FORTH. Even so, it has many additions to the FORTH-83
standard. This chapter will mention a few of those features. We
recommend the purchase of the UNIFORTH Manual Set for more
information.
3.1 Files
UNIFORTH uses DOS 2 tree-structured files. In other words,
you can access files in any directory on any disk from inside of
UNIFORTH. The limitation is that the file pathname cannot exceed
63 characters.
When first invoking UNIFORTH, you have the option of
including a file name on the same line. If no name follows
UNIFORTH, then file FORTH.FTH will be opened. Otherwise, the
passed file will be opened. For example,
UNIFORTH TEST.BIN
will open file TEST.BIN for access after the coldstart procedure
is completed.
All UNIFORTH source code filenames have an extension of .FTH
for unique identification.
The following words give the basic file access functions:
CHANA,CHANB
There are two default "channels" for file access in
UNIFORTH, selected by the words CHANA and CHANB. When
first invoking UNIFORTH, CHANA is assumed. After a
channel has been selected, all file read/write commands
are directed to that channel. If you now specify
CHANB, all commands are directed to the file open on
that channel.
MAKE-CHAN <name>
If you want more files to be open concurrently, you
might want to add channels. This word will create a
new word like CHANA that, when executed, switches file
commands to a new channel. Each channel occupies 64
bytes of dictionary space in addition to the word
header.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-2
OPEN <fname>
Open the file. If the file doesn't exist, you will be
prompted for its creation. If you decline to create a
new file, the previous file will be reopened.
CLOSE
Close the file on the current channel. No action is
taken if a file is not currently open.
MAKE <fname>
You can explicitly create a file with this word. MAKE
and OPEN only create the DOS directory entry; the file
has no length until you explicitly write data to it.
Also, until you close the file, DOS does not know the
file's length.
DELETE <fname>
Deletes the file.
FILESTATUS
Displays information about the currently open file.
Once opened, a file can be accessed in one of two ways:
(1) As a block-oriented (FORTH) file. You read/write to
the file using 1024-byte random-access blocks of data.
Common words are BLOCK, BUFFER, UPDATE, LOAD, etc.
(2) As a sequential, text-oriented file. You read/write to
the file in bytes or lines, where a line is terminated
with a CR/LF pair of ASCII characters. This is the
kind of file created by EDLIN or WORDSTAR.
Block-oriented files are the most straightforward. All of
the FORTH-83 read/write/load words work on block files. The
limitations are that you will get an error message if you try to
access data beyond the end of the file, and that you cannot load
block 0 of any file. You can also open and read binary files
such as UNIFORTH.COM with BLOCK, and dump their contents.
A blank file can be created, or a current file extended in
length, using the word EXTEND. It has the number of blocks to
extend as its argument. Each added block is blank-filled with a
";S" at the beginning.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-3
You can move blocks from one file to another with a brace of
words:
n1 n2 COPYATOB
Copy block n1 of the file currently open on channel A
into block n2 of channel B.
n1 n2 #blks MCOPY
Copy #blks starting at block n1 in channel A to channel
B, starting at block n2.
Text files are read byte-by-byte. You should not use BLOCK
on a text file, as there is no guarantee that the file will be an
exact multiple of 1024 bytes in length (meaning you won't be able
to access the last part of the file). Instead, there is a set of
words to perform the major read/write operations for you.
RDBYTE char
Read one byte from the current file. If the end of the
file is reached, leave a true flag in place of the
character.
adr cnt handle READ-BYTES nchar
Read several bytes from a file into a buffer (like
EXPECT). Leave on the stack the number of characters
actually read, or 0 if an eof was detected.
adr cnt RDLINE nchar
Read a "line" from the file into a buffer. The number
of characters actually read (nchar) will be less than
cnt if a CR/LF is detected.
char WRBYTE
Write the character to the current file.
adr cnt handle WRITE-BYTES nchar
Write cnt characters to the file pointed to by
"handle". nchar is the actual number of characters
written, and will be less than cnt only if the disk is
full.
adr cnt WRLINE
Write cnt characters to the current file. Append a
CR/LF pair to terminate the line.
WREOF
Write an end-of-file mark on the current file.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-4
d1 meth handle !FILE-POS d2
A method of random-access on a sequential file.
Position the next read/write to byte d1 of the file
pointed to by handle. The position method can be
absolute (0), relative (1) or past the end of the file
(2). d2 is the new location of the file pointer.
handle @FILE-POS d1
Returns the current file pointer (double integer bytes
from beginning of file).
The "handle" on some of these words is the MSDOS handle number.
It is returned when you open a file. The current channel's name
is pointed to by variable FCB, and the first byte of that name is
the handle. For example, to get the handle for the file open on
channel A:
CHANA FCB @ C@
will do the trick.
You can also load source code from a text file. For
example, you might like to use FRED as a basic text editor, and
feel restricted by the 12x64 format of a FORTH block. You can
create a text file and load the entire file:
TLOAD
Load the currently open text file starting at the
current file pointer. Each line of text is interpreted
just as if you had entered it from the console. You
must terminate the file with a ;S.
Loading from a text file requires a minimum of three disk
buffers, so check #BUFF before you attempt a load.
3.2 Vectored I/O
UNIFORTH permits up to three input devices and five output
devices to be used for console I/O. These devices are controlled
by the low-order byte of variable IOBYTE. Each bit is assigned
to a particular input or output device. By setting the
appropriate bit, you can send output to 5 devices simultaneously
or select an alternate keyboard.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-5
A 16-byte table is located at IOBYTE+2. The bits in IOBYTE
select from these 8 addresses to execute the proper routine. The
bit definitions are:
bit# IOTAB+... routine
0 2 PC-specific input
1 4 console input
2 8 user specified input routine
3 10 user specified output routine
4 12 console output
5 14 disk output
6 16 printer output
7 18 PC-specific output
20 PC-specific status
22 console status
26 user specified status
For example, to select console input and printer output, you
would set IOBYTE to 42H. You can insert your own routines in
this table, with restrictions. Check the Professional Manual Set
for more information.
We've defined a set of words to account for the most common
combinations:
TERMINAL select PC input and output
PRINTER select printer output only
+PRINTER add printer output to current selection
+DISK add disk output to current selection
The disk output is very restricted. You must have a text file
open on channel B. All terminal output is then stored on the
text file (a log file if you will).
3.3 Numeric input
The UNIFORTH Sampler supports three basic data types:
single precision (16-bit) integers, double precision (32-bit)
integers, and single precision (32-bit) floating point.
When entering a number from the keyboard, you must tell
FORTH what type of number it is to convert. Since 16-bit
integers are the default, you need only enter the digits with an
optional + or - sign at the beginning. For 32-bit integers,
include a comma anywhere within the number. For floating point,
include a period anywhere within the number, with an optional "E"
style exponent. Examples:
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-6
string converted as:
235 16-bit integer
23,5 32-bit integer
235.0 floating point
2.35E2 floating point
All values convert to 235. Variable PRECIS tells you what kind
of number was last converted (-1=none, 0=16-bit, 1=32-bit,
2=floating point), and variable DPL locates the decimal point or
comma within the number.
3.4 Video editor
We've included our "slow" video editor as part of the basic
system. It comes preconfigured for the IBM PC, and uses only
BIOS calls to perform its duties. We suggest that clone owners
try this editor as-is before attempting any modifications. At
worst, the screen will be filled with garbage characters, and you
can exit the editor at any time with ctrl-X without any
modifications being written to disk (or ESC if changes are to be
written).
To enter the editor, just use "n EDIT" where n is the block
number to be edited. If you were attempting to load a block and
ran into an error, and received the block/line number error
message, the word WHERE (no arguments) will enact the editor and
display the erroneous code. UNIFORTH automatically selects
between the monochrome and the color graphics cards, and between
old and new PC's, so the editor should work without problem on
almost every system.
Once inside the editor, the commands are pretty self-
explanatory. All commands are mnemonic related and are displayed
at the top of the screen. The line stack is a temporary holding
area that can be used to transfer lines from one block to
another. Jump block will position the cursor at the displayed
block number; overtype it with the block you wish to move to.
If you wish to customize the editor, look at file
VEDITOR.FTH. It contains configuration blocks for three other
popular terminals: the ADM3/5, the H-19 and the VT-100. The
UNIFORTH Professional version includes about 10 more terminal
types. However, this basic selection will cover 95% of all clone
cases. Find the terminal type that most closely matches your
system and load the appropriate block. This modifies the
vectored editor words that are terminal specific.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-7
In addition, all control codes are defined as constants.
You may wish to use another key (such as a WordStar layout)
instead of what we've selected. Just modify the appropriate
parameter and menu item from VEDITOR.FTH and load the
configuration block.
When you've made all of the necessary changes, resysgen your
system to save the modifications.
3.5 SYSGEN
UNIFORTH permits the storage of a precompiled system, to be
later executed in a similar manner as UNIFORTH.COM. You may add
anything to the system that you want; make patches to the basic
system; delete earlier utilities like the high-level floating
point functions; and then save the new task image onto another
file.
The SYSGEN utility is in file FORTH.FTH. You will find two
words most useful:
REALLOCATE
This word prompts you for two pieces of information:
the number of disk buffers and the memory size. We
recommend 3 buffers. If you have more than 64Kb of
user program space on your system (that is, more than
about 96Kb of total memory), you may be tempted to use
a number larger than 64 when asked for memory size.
The UNIFORTH Sampler is limited to 64K, and so will
truncate any answer you give to fit within those
constraints.
SYSGEN
The main word. After you have used reallocate, sysgen
will save the compiled image onto a task file. You
specify the file name.
SCRAMBLE
If you wish to distribute a commercial application and
don't want the user to have any access to FORTH, we
recommend the use of the word SCRAMBLE. It first
destroys the word links, then executes SYSGEN. The
resultant compiled task image will not be able to find
enough words in the dictionary to make effective use of
FORTH, yet your later application words will still be
available.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-8
3.6 Assembler
Included in UNIFORTH.COM is an assembler that uses the 8086
mnemonics. This assembler is essential in defining some of the
basic words of the system, and uses some 3K bytes of storage.
You have full access to this assembler for your own use and,
in fact, are highly encouraged to use it. FORTH machine language
definitions are extremely easy to create and debug, compared with
other languages. It is ideal for learning how to program in
machine language, or to test out various algorithms before incor-
porating them in other programs.
Machine language FORTH words are created by using one of the
defining words CODE or SUBROUTINE. In each case, the interpreta-
tion state is changed from compilation (i.e.,storing the addres-
ses of routines into a definition) to execution (executing each
word as it is encountered). The words executed are 8086 opcodes,
which use stack parameters to create 8086 instructions which are
then stored into the definition.
3.6.1 Creation of Code Words
To create a machine-language word callable from other FORTH
words, use CODE, just like you would the defining word "colon".
For example,
CODE DUP DX POP, DX PUSH, DX PUSH, NEXT, END-CODE
which creates a code word called DUP that pops the top stack
value into the register DX, then pushes it back on twice. The
last statement in a CODE definition must be END-CODE, which
cleans up the stack and returns the user to the FORTH vocabulary.
The word NEXT, is one of the three required ways of termina-
ting the actual word definition if the new word is to be callable
from other FORTH words. The three ways are:
NEXT, Jump to the interpreter to pick up the next
word to execute.
APUSH, Push the contents of AX onto the stack and
then jump to the interpreter (go to NEXT).
DPUSH, Push the contents of DX onto the stack, then
push AX, and finally go to NEXT.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-9
A defining word called SUBROUTINE is available to create
machine-language words to be used only within other machine
language words (using CALLs or JMPs). For example,
SUBROUTINE 4* AX AX ADD, AX AX ADD, RET, END-CODE
creates the word 4* that will multiply AX by 4. To use this
word:
CODE 64* AX POP, 4* CALL, 4* CALL, 4* CALL,
APUSH, END-CODE
will multiply the top stack value by 64. Remember: you cannot
directly execute 4* as defined in this way. For example,
: 64* 4* 4* 4* ;
will leave three copies of the PFA of 4* on the stack, instead of
performing the desired multiplication.
The data stack is accessed by the "PUSH," and "POP," 8086
instructions. All FORTH return stack operations are not easily
accessible from inside CODE words. Also, because push, pop and
call use the data stack, you must be careful on how to pass
arguments to subroutines as the arguments to be passed will be
covered up by a "call" type statement unless you first pop them
into registers in the calling routine.
The 8086 registers are assigned by UNIFORTH as follows:
AX general purpose register
BX general purpose register, also used by NEXT
CX general purpose register
DX general purpose register
DI general purpose register
SI the interpreter pointer, IP
BP the FORTH "return stack", RP
SP data stack pointer
CS segment register. Must be preserved
DS segment register. Must be preserved
SS segment register. Must be preserved
ES temp seg register. Only used by a few words.
Any register labelled as general purpose can be used at any time
by any word. Other registers can be used by the programmer if
their contents are saved and restored. DX is only used by ;CODE
and can generally be used by the programmer as a general purpose
register. DI may be used in future versions for storing the user
area pointer, so use it with caution in your applications.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-10
Here are some other points that may save you some grief. As
shown in the register assignment table, SI is used for the
interpreter pointer. String operations such as MOVS use SI as
the source address register. Remember to save SI, perform the
operation, and then restore SI. The UNIFORTH Sampler sets all 4
segment registers equal. You should therefore set DS=ES on all
string operations by a sequence similar to:
DS AX MOV,
AX ES MOV,
(you can't MOVe directly between segment registers). The inner
interpreter, NEXT, assumes that the direction flag has been
cleared. If you use STD in a word, be sure you reset it with CLD
before jumping to NEXT.
The opcode mnemonics used in the assembler are basically the
same as used by Intel, except:
1. All instructions are reverse-polish. For example,
Intel: MOV CL,AH
FORTH: AH CL MOV,
2. All instructions have a trailing comma. This indicates
that something is being stored in the dictionary by the
instruction, and also prevents multiple definitions as
would be the case for XOR.
3. The calls, unconditional jumps, and returns have been
divided into intrasegment versions (CALL, JMP, RET) and
"long" intersegment versions (LCALL,LJMP,LRET).
4. The normal prefixes such as LOCK, SEG, REP, BYTE, WORD
are coded without any suffixed comma. All string
operations assume byte mode unless overridden.
5. The assembler is definitely not user-proof. The only
error checking is for removal of all items placed on
the stack during the definition (i.e., loops and bran-
ches properly terminated). You, as the programmer, are
responsible for knowing proper usage of each
instruction.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-11
NOTATION
reg any of the registers as appropriate
cc condition codes such as Z,NZ,CY,NC,GT,LT,LE,MI
data an 8-bit integer
data16 a 16-bit integer
addr a 16-bit address
addr32 a 32-bit address
disp a signed 8-bit displacement
disp16 a signed 16-bit displacement
Addressing modes:
Intel FORTH
MOV AX,BX BX AX MOV,
MOV AX,[DI] [DI] AX MOV,
MOV AX,[BP+4] 4 [BP+] AX MOV,
MOV AX,[BP+DI] [BP+DI] AX MOV,
MOV AX,[BP+DI+4] 4 [BP+DI+] AX MOV,
MOV AX,[4000] 4000 ) AX MOV,
MOV AX,32 32 # AX MOV,
Instruction Specifics:
Intel FORTH
CALL addr32 addr32 LCALL,
CALL disp16 addr CALL,
REP BYTE CMPS REP BYTE CMPS,
ESC mem mem ESC,
IN AX,32 32 AX IN,
INT 21 21 INT,
JMP addr32 addr32 LJMP,
JMP disp addr JMP,
LOOP disp addr LOOP,
RCL AX,1 1 # AX RCL,
RET disp16 disp16 RET,
RET disp16 disp16 LRET,
SEG ES ES SEG,
where addr is the actual address to which you want to branch
(UNIFORTH calculates the appropriate offset).
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-12
13.6.2 Conditional Branching
Several branching structures have been included as in high
level FORTH. You can use IFs and BEGIN-UNTIL loops, in addition
to hard branching with JMP-style opcodes.
cc IF, Start a forward branch. cc is the 8086 condition
code to be satisfied. (Actually, IF, codes a
conditional jump of the opposite sense of cc).
ELSE, The branch for the case when the condition code is
not satisfied.
THEN, Termination of an IF, statement.
BEGIN, Start of a block structure.
cc UNTIL, Branches back to BEGIN, until cc is satisfied.
cc WHILE, Executes statements following while cc is
satisfied.
REPEAT, End of a BEGIN, WHILE, sequence.
DO, Mark the beginning of a DO-LOOP. Identical to
BEGIN,
In each case of a conditional testing instruction, you must have
set or tested the condition codes before the instruction execu-
tion. For example, for 'NZ IF,' you could have executed 'BL AH
CMP,' before the IF, to set the condition codes. Also, since the
conditionals use the Intel conditional jump instructions, all
branching must be less than 128 bytes in length.
3.6.3 Examples
Some of the best examples of CODE words can be found in your
library disk. Listed below are three simple examples as a
further guide.
For more help in programming the 8086, we highly recommend
the purchase of The 8086 Book, by Russel Rector and George Alexy,
Osborne Press, or The 8086 Primer, by Stephen Morse, Hayden
Press.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-13
Example 1. Incrementing the top stack value by the amount in
variable INCREASE.
VARIABLE INCREASE ( initial value)
2 INCREASE !
CODE BUMP ( define BUMP)
AX POP, ( pop stack value into AX)
INCREASE ) DX MOV, ( get increment into DX)
DX AX ADD, ( add together)
APUSH, ( put total back on stack)
END-CODE
Example 2. Adding or subtracting 1 from the top stack value
depending on whether it is positive or negative respectively.
CODE BIGGER ( define BIGGER)
DX POP, ( pop stack value into DX)
AX AX XOR, ( clear AX)
DX AX CMP, ( is value negative)
LT IF, ( if LT, yes)
AX DEC, ( so then subtract)
ELSE, ( if not GT, then...)
AX INC, ( increment)
THEN, ( now end)
APUSH, ( by pushing AX onto stack)
END-CODE
Example 3. Using a DO-LOOP construct with DO and LOOP. Shift a
byte left n times.
CODE LSHIFT ( define LSHIFT)
CX POP, ( get count)
AX POP, ( byte to shift is now in AL)
DO, ( start of loop)
1 # AL ROL, ( rotate left one bit)
LOOP, ( continue until CX=0)
APUSH, ( put rotated value back
END-CODE ( on stack and end)
3.7 Segment Utility
A short utility can be found in FORTH.FTH that allows
reading and writing of data into the entire 1Mb address space of
the 8088. The utility can use either long (32-bit) absolute
addresses (in which case, the words are prefixed with an "L"), or
segment/offset addresses (words prefixed with "SEG").
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-14
seg adr SEG@ n
Fetch the 16-bit value located at seg:adr.
seg adr SEGC@ n
Fetch the 8-bit value located at seg:adr.
n seg adr SEG!
Store the 16-bit value n at address seg:adr.
n seg adr SEGC!
Store the 8-bit value n at address seg:adr.
seg1 adr1 seg2 adr2 cnt SEGCMOVE
Move cnt bytes from seg1:adr1 to seg2:adr2. Count has
a maximum value of 64K-max(adr1,adr2).
dadr L@ n
Fetch the 16-bit value located at address dadr.
dadr LC@ n
Fetch the 8-bit value located at address dadr.
n dadr L!
Store the 16-bit value n at address dadr.
n dadr LC!
Store the 8-bit value n at address dadr.
dadr1 dadr2 cnt LCMOVE
Move cnt bytes from dadr1 to dadr2. Cnt has a maximum
value of 64K.
MYSEG val
Leave on the stack the current segment number for the
code space (that is, CS).
dadr ADR>SEG seg adr
Convert the 32-bit address into a segment number and a
16-bit offset.
seg adr SEG>ADR dadr
Convert the seg:adr address into a 32-bit address.
3.8 Deviations from FORTH-83
We've sold FORTH-79 systems for years, but took 18 months to
decide to revise UNIFORTH to match the FORTH-83 Standard. There
has been a lot of controversy about F83, with good reason.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-15
The primary problem is that FIG-FORTH and F79 programs will
not run under F83. The Standards committee changed the basic
function of several words, but kept their names the same. This
means that the wealth of published FORTH software is not useable
without recoding, so beware!
UNIFORTH closely follows F83 with some exceptions. Primary
amongst these is the F83 requirement of floored division. What
this means is that integer truncation is to the next lower
number. Dividing -14 by 10 yields -2, since the fractional
result is -1.4. This type of truncation makes sense
mathmatically but doesn't match your natural thinking nor the
currently available hardware. All 8086, 68000, PDP-11, Z8000,
etc. processors use arithmetic where the result is truncated
towards zero. Our example would then yield -1 as the result.
Another problem is in handling the sign of the remainder.
If you divide -14 by 10, is the remainder -4 or +4? F83 requires
that the result by +4 (taking the sign of the divisor). All
processors give remainders that use the sign of the dividend, or
-4 in our example. Again, UNIFORTH conforms to the hardware, not
the Standard.
We've left many words "immediate" (such as ." and all
vocabulary names). F83 uses separate words for execution and for
compile. F83's UM* is UNIFORTH's USS*D, where our form
explicitly tells what kind of mixed mode arithmetic is being
used.
We're not happy about the -1 truth flag. While it makes
sense logically, it makes error checking more difficult. Beware
of F79 and FIG-FORTH uses of the truth flag!
The Programmer's Guide gives information on how to convert
FIG-FORTH and F79 systems to UNIFORTH.
There is much more about the Sampler that hasn't been
discussed here. Explore the system! You may find features that
are of use. The Manual Set describes the UNIFORTH Professional
in gory detail, so you might take a look at it if you need more
help.
UNIQUE FEATURES OF UNIFORTH Page 3-1
Chapter 4
WHAT YOU ARE MISSING
Now that you have used UNIFORTH, you might be interested in
how the Professional differs from the public domain Sampler. We
recommend writing for our free, complete catalog, but listed
below are some of the major differences in more technical detail.
Multitasking
The Professional is a fast multitasking system. Tasks can
be assigned priorities, and messages can be passed between them.
Each task takes less than 1K bytes of memory, so many can be
resident at once. We often build systems that include the user
task, a printer spooler, a temperature background acquisition
task, and a telecommunications task, where all four are in
operation at once at no noticible degradation in response.
Speed
We've carefully optimized the Professional and use state-of-
the-art threading techniques to make the fastest possible FORTH
system. The floating point routines use a separate stack for
fastest calculations. You will find a 50% or larger improvement
in speed.
Strings
A full string package is included. All the functions that
you would find in BASIC, such as MID$ and INSTR, are included so
that you can manipulate strings as easily as integers.
Custom utilities
The IBM PC Professional UNIFORTH includes files of functions
to access the keyboard, provide full musical note generation, and
to draw lines, dots and filled polygons on the color graphics
board. In addition, every DOS2 system request is implemented.
The fast video editor
An improved video editor is included, that accesses the
video memory directly. Screens appear as fast on the screen as
your disk access will let them. Extra functions such as multi-
file editing, line split and paste, and adding blank blocks are
included.
Source code
You get the source code to everything except the 5Kb kernel.
In all, about 400Kb of source code is distributed.
Debugger
The Professional comes with a single-step debugger/tracer
that can be used to track down errors in your code. The data and
return stacks are displayed as each word is executed. Break
WHAT YOU ARE MISSING Page 4-2
points may be set.
Decompiler
A complete decompiler will display any high-level UNIFORTH
word on your screen. This utility is highly useful to check the
syntax of a word or to retrieve an interactive definition.
More systems
The Professional UNIFORTH is available for a dozen
processors and even more operating systems. We will customize it
for a particular computer, create stand-alone systems and add
multi-user support as desired.
Floating point
Both hardware and software floating point is included. The
hardware floating point uses the 8087, gives both single and
double precision capability, and provides some really impressive
speed gains. Of course, all opcode extensions to the assembler
are included.
Documentation
The UNIFORTH Professional comes with 500+ pages of
documentation in a custom slipcase/binder. All aspects of FORTH
are covered, from a tutorial much like the one in this manual to
detailed discussions of threading techniques, database
management, forms generation, coding conventions and much more.
Numerous examples are included to speed the learning process.
Support
You get 90 days of free hotline support. Additional support
is also available. We offer on-site classes. The Professional
is offered with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Cross-compilers
The UNIFORTH cross-compiler requires the Professional, and
supports many microprocessor targets.
For complete information, write for the free UNIFORTH
catalog. If you just wish to order an MS/PCDOS version that
corresponds to this Sampler, then use the catalog numbers listed
below.
Cat # Computer Price
M22 Generic MSDOS 2.x $245
M22P IBM PC/XT/Jr DOS 2.x $245
M22T TI Professional MSDOS 2.x $245
M22R Rainbow 100 MSDOS 2.x $245
M22A IBM PC/AT 80286 specific DOS 3.x $295
WHAT YOU ARE MISSING Page 4-3
Other items of interest are listed below.
Cat # Sampler version Price
S21Z Z80 CP/M 2.2 $35
S21P IBM PC DOS 2.x $35
S21A Apple // (ProDos, 80col) coming soon
S21C Commodore 64 coming soon
S21M Macintosh coming soon
Cat # Item Price
BK01 UNIFORTH Manual Set $60
BK11 Starting FORTH/Brodie $17.95
BK12 Thinking FORTH/Brodie $15.95
Ordering information:
Specify your computer type and your disk format. All items
are sent post-paid by UPS or First Class within the U.S. Checks,
CODs, money orders and purchase orders in U.S. dollars are
accepted. Maryland residents add 5% sales tax. Prices are valid
as of April 15, 1985 and may be different if ordering much later
than that date. Make checks payable to:
Unified Software Systems
P.O. Box 2644
New Carrollton, MD 20784
(301) 552-9590
Conclusions
We hope that you have enjoyed using the UNIFORTH Sampler.
It is a complete FORTH system that will provide you many years of
usefulness. Please, let us know your impressions. Did you find
FORTH worthwhile? Are there bugs in this system? What features
would you like to see? Its through user input and community
discussion that FORTH will grow or die. Cast your vote!
ommunity
discussion that FORTH will grow or die. Cast your vote!