Re: "The Best Programming Language for the End of the World"

On 28/04/2025 9:52 pm, albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl wrote:

In article <03d13185898a1ee00bea4f420aa1a3721b0585f2@i2pn2.org>,
dxf  <dxforth@gmail.com> wrote:

On 27/04/2025 8:28 pm, Hans Bezemer wrote:

...
Another handy word is >STRING that converts a "raw" string to a fully qualified string ( a1 n1 -- a2) that can handle a COUNT (you have the carnal knowledge - you take care

of the "how"). E.g. for counted strings it might be:

>
: >STRING swap over over dup char+ rot cmove c! ;

>
For forths that have PACK ( a u a2 -- a2 )
>
: >STRING ( a u -- a )  over pack ;
>

Store a string in allocated memory.
sc (string constant: a u)
: $!A   DUP ALLOCATE THROW  >R
    R@ SWAP CMOVE
    R> ;
 
It helps to have SIZE in the memory wordset:
sva (string variable stored ALLOCATE d)
: $@A   DUP SIZE ;
 
The proper mindset is that there are string variables,
(string areas where a string could be stored and changed)
and string constants, sc n where you are no supposed
to change the content of the string.

I was more interested in showing the utility of PACK than >STRING .
PACK emerged soon after PLACE.  PLACE is better known but to my mind
PACK is the better primitive and in machine code the cost was but one
instruction.  For this reason my forth kernel has both PACK and PLACE .