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 c44b9003a1 fix use of deprecated word in markdown export examples FossilOrigin-Name: 9bcc617569f8dc0eba33c1b54abc621dbdbf81f02cf7592f64dd893d1b7d7a24		2023-04-02 22:44:35 +00:00
.builds	retro-unix: default package/list.forth now overrides d:add-header to track header source	2021-08-24 13:10:25 +00:00
benchmarks	benchmarks: add a simple `choose` benchmark (#26 )	2020-12-18 20:18:13 +00:00
doc	remove deprecate words	2023-03-29 00:56:00 +00:00
example	fix use of deprecated word in markdown export examples	2023-04-02 22:44:35 +00:00
future	small cleanups, remove redundant file	2021-09-10 17:55:07 +00:00
image	setup for beginning work on next release	2023-03-28 15:21:31 +00:00
interface	switch to using hashed dictionary search by default	2023-03-29 02:45:43 +00:00
man	nga-c: -t now takes a command line argument for the file name	2021-06-01 13:42:30 +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	update public key set	2023-03-27 12:50:31 +00:00
tests	mem:get is now mem:fetch, mem:set is now mem:store	2022-08-08 16:04:29 +00:00
tools	add source data for socket: vocabulary	2023-01-26 22:38:02 +00:00
vm	nga-c: add guard() to most of the instructions (ref #96 )	2023-03-29 13:27:55 +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
build-wip.sh	nga-c: add retro-wip.c for implementation changes from issue #66	2021-06-11 19:36:38 +00:00
BUILDING.md	add BUILDING overview document	2022-01-07 14:20:16 +00:00
GNUmakefile	setup for beginning work on next release	2023-03-28 15:21:31 +00:00
LICENSE	merge in malloc device (thanks to Rick C for this!) and start of a double: vocabulary (create variables, constants; fetch/store variables)	2022-07-25 12:15:34 +00:00
Makefile	remove deprecate words	2023-03-29 00:56:00 +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	setup for beginning work on next release	2023-03-28 15:21:31 +00:00
README.md	bump version number; add new patrons, updates to release notes	2023-03-20 17:48:11 +00:00
RELEASE-NOTES	switch to using hashed dictionary search by default	2023-03-29 02:45:43 +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