What is Forth?

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Forth is a stack-based, extensible language without type-checking. It is probably best known for its "reverse Polish" (postfix) arithmetic notation, familiar to users of Hewlett-Packard calculators. Forth is a real-time programming language originally developed to control telescopes. Forth has many unique features and applications:

  • Forth can compile itself into a new compiler!
  • Reverse-polish coding.
  • Edit time error checking and compiling (similiar to BASIC).
  • Extremely efficient thread based language.
  • Can be used to debug itself!
  • Extensible, thus can become what ever you need it to be.
  • Many freeware implementations are available.
  • Many commercial applications: language translators, animation (movies, DisneyLand), hard disk controllers.

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