crc/retroforth: Retro is a modern, pragmatic Forth drawing influences from many sources. It's clean, elegant, small, easy to grasp, and adaptable to many tasks.

Retro is a modern, pragmatic Forth drawing influences from many sources. It's clean, elegant, small, easy to grasp, and adaptable to many tasks.

Find a file

crc 936a426ece add missing source data for err: and some globals FossilOrigin-Name: 7de6429d5af29155b8ad47bc3908b88840f7bb6f5ccd07014acf263e74548b9f		2023-10-22 21:59:01 +00:00
.builds	ci: dont build retro-compiler (currently broken)	2023-06-29 11:13:23 +00:00
benchmarks	benchmarks: add a simple `choose` benchmark (#26 )	2020-12-18 20:18:13 +00:00
doc	add glossary data for err: words	2023-10-02 15:14:07 +00:00
example	double cell example: fix shift directions	2023-09-20 12:00:49 +00:00
future	small cleanups, remove redundant file	2021-09-10 17:55:07 +00:00
image	begin prep for start of work on 2024.4	2023-10-02 16:47:20 +00:00
interface	add missing source data for err: and some globals	2023-10-22 21:59:01 +00:00
man	retro(1): note that verbose output goes to /dev/stderr	2023-10-10 09:54:47 +00:00
package	now start recording hashes of names	2023-02-05 16:38:04 +00:00
rel/python	run black to reformat Python files	2021-01-20 17:41:34 +00:00
security	begin prep for start of work on 2024.4	2023-10-02 16:47:20 +00:00
tests	add CURRENT.txt to start tracking what Im currently working on	2023-10-22 16:44:57 +00:00
tools	remove unused file; update tools/missing-dsource.retro; dev. builds are set to 32-bit for now (will be back to 64-bit default later)	2023-10-22 15:56:22 +00:00
vm	add missing source data for err: and some globals	2023-10-22 21:59:01 +00:00
.gitattributes	github: add file type overrides for linguist	2021-01-27 13:40:59 +00:00
.gitignore	Change mem:* API to make memory offset calculation easier (from Rick C)	2022-07-31 00:46:20 +00:00
BUILDING.md	add BUILDING overview document	2022-01-07 14:20:16 +00:00
Configuration.mk	remove unused file; update tools/missing-dsource.retro; dev. builds are set to 32-bit for now (will be back to 64-bit default later)	2023-10-22 15:56:22 +00:00
CURRENT.txt	add CURRENT.txt to start tracking what Im currently working on	2023-10-22 16:44:57 +00:00
GNUmakefile	fix for GNUmakefile (from drakonis)	2023-06-27 00:19:27 +00:00
KNOWN-ISSUES.txt	add KNOWN-ISSUES	2023-10-03 13:51:48 +00:00
LICENSE	add missing source data for a: and d: words	2023-10-22 21:45:13 +00:00
Makefile	initial stubs related to error handling device	2023-05-15 10:49:07 +00:00
Makefile.python	nga-python: add Makefile.python target to package, upload for pypi (#23 )	2021-01-18 15:43:33 +00:00
ngaImage	remove unused file; update tools/missing-dsource.retro; dev. builds are set to 32-bit for now (will be back to 64-bit default later)	2023-10-22 15:56:22 +00:00
README.md	bump version number; add new patrons, updates to release notes	2023-03-20 17:48:11 +00:00
RELEASE-NOTES	add missing source data for err: and some globals	2023-10-22 21:59:01 +00:00
retroforth.el	add retroforth.el emacs mode	2021-03-30 20:41:40 +00:00

README.md

      d8888b. d88888b d888888b d8888b.  .d88b.
      88  `8D 88'     `~~88~~' 88  `8D .8P  Y8.
      88oobY' 88ooooo    88    88oobY' 88    88
      88`8b   88~~~~~    88    88`8b   88    88
      88 `88. 88.        88    88 `88. `8b  d8'
      88   YD Y88888P    YP    88   YD  `Y88P'

Retro is a modern, pragmatic Forth drawing influences from many sources. It's clean, elegant, tiny, easy to grasp, and adaptable to many tasks.

Features

Open Source (ISC License)
Portable (runs on a MISC-style virtual machine)
Small source & binaries
Builds into a single, self contained binary
Sources in literate format, using a Markdown variant

Quick Start

For most systems (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, macOS, Linux):

make

You will need a standard C compiler and make.

Executables

Binaries will be placed in the bin directory.

The primary executable is retro. This is used for running the examples and the Atua (gopher) & Casket (http) servers that power retroforth.org.

The retro executable embeds the image into the binary, making it trivial to copy and deploy.

This interface layer also extends the language with many new words and vocabularies, adds scripting, files, floating point, and more.

The retro executable can handle a variety of command line arguments which are covered in the manpage, but the most common ones are:

retro

Starts the listener, a basic REPL for interactive use.

retro filename

This will run the code in the specified file, then exit. This is also used to run programs as shell-type scripts using a header line like #!/usr/bin/env retro.

retro -i -f filename

This will run the code in the specified file, then start the listener.

Literate Sources

Source files for use with retro are written with code in fenced blocks:

commentary here

~~~
code here
~~~

Anything outside the fenced blocks will be ignored.

Documentation

The primary documentation is in RETRO-Book.md (and the formatted epub.) Additional notes can be found in the doc directory.

Alternative Implementations

In addition to the C and Python implementations, this source tree includes additional implementations in C#, Nim, JavaScript, and Pascal. These are not as well tested or as feature complete as the main implementations, but are provided for your use if the standard implementations will not suffice.

Learn More

Visit http(s)://retroforth.org to learn more and follow along with development.

Patreon

I have a Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/_crc for those that want to financially support development. All funds raised via Pateron are put into development related expenses (server expenses, app store fees, hardware).

Thanks go out to my current and past patrons:

Kiyoshi YONEDA
Krinkleneck
Rick Carlino
Scott McCallum
Bartels Jon Randy
Nuno
Eli
Brad S
Tobias Ammann
oneearedrabbit
Octavio Turra