--- gforth/README 1994/11/24 16:55:14 1.2 +++ gforth/README 2002/08/22 20:07:33 1.46 @@ -1,24 +1,86 @@ -This is the current state (alpha) of gforth. This is not a -distribution for the general public, since it is not yet mature -enough. There is no warranty of any kind; this program is -distributed under the GNU General Public license (see COPYING). - -You will probably find a Linux binary included in the package and the -configuration set up for Linux. If you want to install it on another -system, read INSTALL and I wish you good luck (Mail us if you have -problems). - -To start the system just say `gforth'. This gives you a pretty barren -system. `gforth startup.fs' gives you most ANSI wordsets. If you miss -a word, just grep for it in *.fs. - -If you want to work on gforth, mail me an encrypted UNIX password -(i.e., what you find in /etc/passwd). Tasks to be done can be found in -ToDo; but if you would like to do something not mentioned there, it's -ok, too. In any case, we would like to hear what you are doing. The -most important tasks IMO are the configuartion script, the missing ANS -Forth words (musts before the alpha release), speeding up the loading -of startup.fs, the documentation, adding readline and the foreign -language interface for C. +This snapshot is mainly intended as a Vmgen release. The Gforth part +has known bugs, and likely has portability problems (which Vmgen +inherits, of course) on anything but 386 and Alpha platforms. A +full-blown and portable release will be released Real Soon Now:-). + +Gforth is a fast and portable implementation of the ANS Forth +language. It works nicely with the Emacs editor, offers some nice +features such as input completion and history and a powerful locals +facility, and it even has a manual. Gforth employs traditional +implementation techniques: its inner innerpreter is indirect or direct +threaded. Gforth is distributed under the GNU General Public license +(see COPYING). + +Gforth runs under Unix, Win95, OS/2, and DOS and should not be hard to +port to other systems supported by GCC. This version has been tested +successfully on the following platforms: + +i686-pc-linux-gnu + +Read INSTALL for installation instructions, or INSTALL.DOS for DOS, +Windows 95, and OS/2. Mail bug-gforth@gnu.org if you have problems. +To start the system, just say `gforth' (after installing it). + +You can find new versions of Gforth at ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gforth/ +and its mirrors or at + +http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/forth/gforth/ +or +ftp://ftp.complang.tuwien.ac.at/pub/forth/gforth/ + +The latter site also contains binary distributions of Gforth for some +popular platforms. + +If you want to work on Gforth, mail me. Tasks to be done can be found +in ToDo; but if you would like to do something not mentioned there, +it's ok, too. In any case, we would like to hear what you are +doing. The most important tasks IMO are the missing ANS Forth words, +the documentation and the foreign language interface for C. + +On popular request, here are the meanings of unusual file extensions: + +*.fs Forth stream source file (include with "include " from within + gforth, or start with "gforth ...") +*.fi Forth image files (start with "gforth -i ") +*.fb Forth blocks file (load with "use 1 load") +*.i C include files +*.ds documenation source +*TAGS etags files + +A number of Forth source files are included in this package that are +not necessary for building Gforth. Not all of them are mentioned in +the rest of the documentation, so here's a short overview: + +Add-ons: +code.fs random.fs more.fs ansi.fs colorize.fs +oof.fs oofsampl.fs objects.fs blocked.fb tasker.fs + +Utilities: +ans-report.fs etags.fs glosgen.fs filedump.fs + +Games: +tt.fs sokoban.fs + +Test programs (for testing Forth systems): +test/*.fs + +Benchmarks: +bubble.fs siev.fs matrix.fs fib.fs + +ANS Forth implementations of Gforth extensions: +compat/*.fs other.fs + +For discussions about Gforth, use the Usenet newsgroup +comp.lang.forth. If you prefer not to post on Usenet, there is also a +mailing list: GForth@ChaosSolutions.org. To subscribe, send a mail to +gforth-subscribe@chaossolutions.org@ChaosSolutions.org with: + +subscribe GForth + +as the first and only line within the message body. Send bug reports +to bug-gforth@gnu.org (whether you post them or not). + - anton +anton@mips.complang.tuwien.ac.at +http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/anton/home.html