ColorForth Programming Tutorial: Typing ColorForth...versions 3.1 and 4.0

Hello again. Here's yet another update to my experiments with unpacking and displaying packed ColorForth text. I know have it to the place where doing the examples from Starting Forth should be easy. First a fix from version 3.0 based on the fact that ColorForth 2.0 enforces Chuck's admonition for yellow variable calls.


s 0 hello , i speak forth
type fffffff0 and unpack if emit type ; then drop drop ;
print dup @ f and -9 + drop if drop then ; dup @ type space 1 + print ;
greet show text s 1 + print ;

However I found a much better version. This version actually handles caps and mixed case. But it also requires the yellow variable call fix.


+first 0 +rest 0
type space fffffff0 and unpack +first @ + emit
rest unpack if +rest @ + emit rest ; then drop drop ;

done drop drop pop drop ;
norm 0 +first ! 0 +rest ! type ;
cap 48 +first ! 0 +rest ! type ;
caps 48 +first ! 48 +rest ! type ;

select jump rest done done done done done done done done norm cap caps done done done done ;
stype 1 + dup @ dup 15 and select stype ;

Here's a slightly different version that uses macros to (IMO) improve readability and includes an example of usage.

+first 0 +rest 0
type space fffffff0 and unpack +first @ + emit
rest unpack if +rest @ + emit rest ; then drop drop ;

done drop drop pop drop ;
norm 0 +first ! 0 +rest ! type ;
cap 48 +first ! 0 +rest ! type ;
caps 48 +first ! 48 +rest ! type ;

select jump rest done done done done done done done done norm cap caps done done done done ; macro
tag 15 and ;
nextw 1 + dup @ dup ; forth
stype nextw tag select stype ;

Here's what this does and why I think it's better. The words "nextw" and "tag" are put in the "macro" dictionary and then inlined because they as "cyan" words. Cyan words allow you to inline. Normally in ColorForth words are factored to save space. Here no space is saved because "nextw" and "tag" are only used once. But "stype" is more readable because it says exactly what it does. Here's the documentation "shadow block".


String Display
type w display one 32-bit word of text
rest w finish typing a word
done aw drop addr and word and return from stype
norm normal text
cap text starts with a capital
caps all caps
select wt handle word according to tag
nextw a get next word and increment address
stype a display contiguous white text

Using the above, here's the solution to problem 1-1 from Starting Forth.


162 load salute 0 Dear friend 0 Stephanie, thank 0 thanks for the gift 0 bookends.
thanks salute stype friend stype thank stype gift stype ;
ok show text blank white thanks keyboard ;