retroforth/doc/html/chapters/techniques/pointers.html

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<p><br/><br/>
<span class="h2">Sigil</span>
<br/><br/>
Pointers are returned by the <span class="tt">&amp;</span> sigil.
<br/><br/>
<span class="h2">Examples</span>
<br/><br/>
<span class='codeblock'><span class="tt">```</span><br/><span class="tt"><span class='str'>'Base</span> var </span><br/>
<span class="tt"><span class='ptr'>&amp;Base</span> <span class='prim'>fetch</span> </span><br/>
<span class="tt"><span class='num'>#10</span> <span class='ptr'>&amp;Base</span> <span class='prim'>store</span> </span><br/>
<span class="tt">&nbsp;</span><br/>
<span class="tt"><span class='num'>#10</span> <span class='ptr'>&amp;n:inc</span> <span class='prim'>call</span> </span><br/>
<span class="tt">```</span></span><br/><br/>
<span class="h2">Notes</span>
<br/><br/>
The use of <span class="tt">&amp;</span> to get a pointer to a data structure (with a
word class of <span class="tt">class:data</span>) is not required. I like to use it
anyway as it makes my intent a little clearer.
<br/><br/>
Pointers are useful with combinators. Consider:
<br/><br/>
<span class='codeblock'><span class="tt">```</span><br/><span class="tt"><span class='colon'>:abs</span> <span class='prim'>dup</span> n:negative? <span class='imm'>[</span> n:negate <span class='imm'>]</span> <span class='prim'>if</span> <span class='imm'>;</span> </span><br/>
<span class="tt">```</span></span><br/><br/>
Since the target quote body is a single word, it is more
efficient to use a pointer instead:
<br/><br/>
<span class='codeblock'><span class="tt">```</span><br/><span class="tt"><span class='colon'>:abs</span> <span class='prim'>dup</span> n:negative? <span class='ptr'>&amp;n:negate</span> <span class='prim'>if</span> <span class='imm'>;</span> </span><br/>
<span class="tt">```</span></span><br/><br/>
The advantages are speed (saves a level of call/return by
avoiding the quotation) and size (for the same reason).
This may be less readable though, so consider the balance
of performance to readability when using this approach.
</p>
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