4 ms·

I need to do something with either of these languages. I've learned Forth before but never did anything with it. I should learn Lua as well.

by bmitc 2y ago

aeonik 2y ago
The two Forths that I've had my eye on: https://www.gnu.org/software/gforth/ https://www.gnu.org/software/gforth/ And the inventor of Forth has a very power efficient multi-computer chip that can be programmed with colorForth or array forth (he claims most power efficient): https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/products/index.php https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/products/index.php https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/documents/greg/cf-intro.htm https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/documents/greg/cf-intro... Here is a video about the chip, and some cool Forth demos with it: https://youtu.be/0PclgBd6_Zs?si=nThy9TnGl9rJX5_u https://youtu.be/0PclgBd6_Zs?si=nThy9TnGl9rJX5_u
turtledragonfly 2y ago
I've had a very enjoyable experience with Lua, and kaguya for binding it to C++. Match made in heaven, for the most part (: PUC Lua also has a very solid coherent C implementation; it's basically a masterclass in making an effective, portable, but also necessarily complex C library.
- binary132 2y ago
  Lua is definitely a pedagogic language and project all the way to its roots. I often feel like I’m taking a class on compilers when using it. :)
IncreasePosts 2y ago
Forth is super interesting, and worth learning, but it seems like an evolutionary dead end. Even Chuck Moore doesn't do much Forth these days, because he doesn't like having to keep track of a whole bunch of details that keep getting changed between processor families.
- chuckadams 2y ago
  Chuck Moore designs processors, seems to me he's got those details handled. Last thing I heard he worked on was etherForth, but the guy's 85 years old, so he might just have quietly retired by now. Forth was never going to be the next Java or Rust, but in its own little niche, it's fantastic. ANS Forth isn't getting any new features anytime soon, but meanwhile forth spawned a whole family of interesting languages like Joy, Factor, and ColorForth. Besides, evolution is overrated: tardigrades are still doing fine :)
  - andsoitis 2y ago
    > evolution is overrated: tardigrades are still doing fine :) The evolution of tardigrades as super fascinating: https://eartharchives.org/articles/tardigrade-genome-reveals-secrets-of-their-toughness-and-evolution/index.html https://eartharchives.org/articles/tardigrade-genome-reveals...
- 7thaccount 2y ago
  Chuck gave up doing Forth in assembly for modern processors a number of years ago, but developed the GreenArrays chips that are apparently like 144 computers on a chip. He programs that in some version of ColorForth and has done several talks on it. I have no clue if there is any value because I can't understand it's use case. It is really cool though that when he builds an application, he typically understands everything from the machine level all the way through the software and he designs them both to some kind of optimal overall system. He's got to be one of the only people alive who can still claim that I'd guess.
  - chuckadams 2y ago
    > 144 computers on a chip Ugh, "computers". I'm not even a stickler for terminology, but the whole "144 computers" thing somehow rubs me the wrong way, like it's some Best Buy salesdroid telling me that a quad-core means having four computers in one box.
    - 2y ago
larsbrinkhoff 2y ago
Tradition has it that the thing to do with Forth is implement your own toy and then call it a day. Usually not having learned how to actually program in Forth. Yes I'm bitter.
JBits 2y ago
If you're looking for something to do in Lua, I suggest making a game with the Love2D framework [love2d.org]!
- bmitc 2y ago
  I've had my eye on it for sure!

I need to do something with either of these languages. I've learned Forth before but never did anything with it. I should learn Lua as well.

by bmitc 2y ago

I need to do something with either of these languages. I've learned Forth before but never did anything with it. I should learn Lua as well.

aeonik 2y ago

The two Forths that I've had my eye on: https://www.gnu.org/software/gforth/ https://www.gnu.org/software/gforth/ And the inventor of Forth has a very power efficient multi-computer chip that can be programmed with colorForth or array forth (he claims most power efficient): https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/products/index.php https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/products/index.php https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/documents/greg/cf-intro.htm https://www.greenarraychips.com/home/documents/greg/cf-intro... Here is a video about the chip, and some cool Forth demos with it: https://youtu.be/0PclgBd6_Zs?si=nThy9TnGl9rJX5_u https://youtu.be/0PclgBd6_Zs?si=nThy9TnGl9rJX5_u

turtledragonfly 2y ago

I've had a very enjoyable experience with Lua, and kaguya for binding it to C++. Match made in heaven, for the most part (: PUC Lua also has a very solid coherent C implementation; it's basically a masterclass in making an effective, portable, but also necessarily complex C library.

binary132 2y ago
Lua is definitely a pedagogic language and project all the way to its roots. I often feel like I’m taking a class on compilers when using it. :)

IncreasePosts 2y ago

Forth is super interesting, and worth learning, but it seems like an evolutionary dead end. Even Chuck Moore doesn't do much Forth these days, because he doesn't like having to keep track of a whole bunch of details that keep getting changed between processor families.

chuckadams 2y ago
Chuck Moore designs processors, seems to me he's got those details handled. Last thing I heard he worked on was etherForth, but the guy's 85 years old, so he might just have quietly retired by now. Forth was never going to be the next Java or Rust, but in its own little niche, it's fantastic. ANS Forth isn't getting any new features anytime soon, but meanwhile forth spawned a whole family of interesting languages like Joy, Factor, and ColorForth. Besides, evolution is overrated: tardigrades are still doing fine :)
- andsoitis 2y ago
  > evolution is overrated: tardigrades are still doing fine :) The evolution of tardigrades as super fascinating: https://eartharchives.org/articles/tardigrade-genome-reveals-secrets-of-their-toughness-and-evolution/index.html https://eartharchives.org/articles/tardigrade-genome-reveals...
7thaccount 2y ago
Chuck gave up doing Forth in assembly for modern processors a number of years ago, but developed the GreenArrays chips that are apparently like 144 computers on a chip. He programs that in some version of ColorForth and has done several talks on it. I have no clue if there is any value because I can't understand it's use case. It is really cool though that when he builds an application, he typically understands everything from the machine level all the way through the software and he designs them both to some kind of optimal overall system. He's got to be one of the only people alive who can still claim that I'd guess.
- chuckadams 2y ago
  > 144 computers on a chip Ugh, "computers". I'm not even a stickler for terminology, but the whole "144 computers" thing somehow rubs me the wrong way, like it's some Best Buy salesdroid telling me that a quad-core means having four computers in one box.
  - 2y ago

larsbrinkhoff 2y ago

Tradition has it that the thing to do with Forth is implement your own toy and then call it a day. Usually not having learned how to actually program in Forth. Yes I'm bitter.

JBits 2y ago

If you're looking for something to do in Lua, I suggest making a game with the Love2D framework [love2d.org]!

bmitc 2y ago
I've had my eye on it for sure!