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IWETHEY Home / IWETHEY Board / Theory and Practice of Programming Forum / Forth Book Recommendations
Post #116,416
by JimWeirich
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9/3/03 3:58:42 AM
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New Forth Book Recommendations
There are a couple Forth books that really break the mold when it comes to technical manuals. I would recommend "Starting Forth" by Leo Brodie as a good introduction to the languages. Leo's style is casual and fun to read. The cutesy pictures are a bit over the top, but it works.

I also liked "Thinking Forth" by the same author. TF throws a splash of cold water on the traditional engineering approach to software development. It is a bit anti-structured, a bit anti-OO, but in a way that turns your way of thinking around. Its hard to describe. The absolute best part of the book are the captioned illustrations. Priceless.

Both books are out of print, but used copies are available on the net.
--
-- Jim Weirich jweirich@one.net [link|http://onestepback.org|http://onestepback.org]
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"Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct,
not tried it." -- Donald Knuth (in a memo to Peter van Emde Boas)
Post #116,430
by deSitter
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9/3/03 7:37:48 AM
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New Re: Forth Book Recommendations
Yep - and his whole point was on effective development, not just language mechanics.

There's a book by Salman, Tisserand and Toulout, very thin but deep.
-drl
Post #116,507
by Ashton
9/3/03 7:59:10 PM
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New Thanks - your opinion is obv shared:
These comments at Amazon, while looking for prices (I use their links for used from small booksellers, wherever I can).
More than a FORTH text, March 28, 2003
\tReviewer: A reader from Longmont, CO United States
Thinking FORTH is as much about philosophy of problem solving and programming style as FORTH. Concepts presented in this '84 publication were light years ahead of their time. OOPs concepts, including data encapsulation, modularity and overloading are explained in simple understandable terms (although with different terminology). Emphisis is on eligance, flexibility and reusability, written in Leo Brodie's unique style. (NO YOU CAN'T HAVE MINE!) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
I'll keep eye peeled for a dog-eared version; price reflects the Worth apparently now assigned to both of these (how odd when Econ theory occasionally works..;-) besides, I Love er prescience.. "'light-years ahead' in '84"


Ashton
     Kata Two - Jim Weirich - (ChrisR) - (12) - Sept. 1, 2003, 12:52:15 AM EDT
         Yeah baby! - (deSitter) - (4) - Sept. 1, 2003, 12:57:53 AM EDT
             Forth primitives - (ChrisR) - (3) - Sept. 1, 2003, 12:13:07 PM EDT
                 Re: Forth primitives - (deSitter) - (2) - Sept. 1, 2003, 03:01:46 PM EDT
                     Three years out of date? - (admin) - (1) - Sept. 1, 2003, 03:05:16 PM EDT
                         Curious - (deSitter) - Sept. 1, 2003, 03:34:22 PM EDT
         Re: Kata Two - Jim Weirich - (JimWeirich) - (6) - Sept. 2, 2003, 01:10:51 PM EDT
             Okay, I'll bite - (drewk) - (5) - Sept. 2, 2003, 02:45:54 PM EDT
                 Re: Okay, I'll bite - (JimWeirich) - (4) - Sept. 2, 2003, 03:20:29 PM EDT
                     Damn.. I could do that! - (Ashton) - (3) - Sept. 2, 2003, 07:25:42 PM EDT
                         Forth Book Recommendations - (JimWeirich) - (2) - Sept. 3, 2003, 03:58:42 AM EDT
                             Re: Forth Book Recommendations - (deSitter) - Sept. 3, 2003, 07:37:48 AM EDT
                             Thanks - your opinion is obv shared: - (Ashton) - Sept. 3, 2003, 07:59:10 PM EDT

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