retroforth/README.md
crc 391ade7c05 begin prep for 2018.4 release
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2018-04-18 15:42:23 +00:00

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## RETRO
RETRO is a modern, pragmatic Forth drawing influences from many sources.
Features:
- Open Source (ISC License)
- Portable (runs on a MISC-style virtual machine)
- Small source & binaries
- Builds into a single, self contained binary for easy deployment
- Sources in literate format, using a Markdown variant
The language is a Forth dialect drawing influence from some of Chuck
Moore's newer ideas. It's clean, elegant, tiny, and easy to grasp and
adapt to various uses.
## Quick Start
For FreeBSD, NetBSD, macOS, Linux:
make
Binaries will be found in the `bin` directory. The ones of interest
are:
rre
Short for `run retro and exit`, this is the primary interface for RETRO.
The `rre` interface is used to run the examples and Atua Gopher and HTTP
servers that power forthworks.com.
`rre` embeds the RETRO image into the binary, making it trivial to copy
and deploy.
repl
This is a basic `read-evaluate-print-loop` for interactive use. It's
intended for quick tests and as an easy starting point for new interfaces.
The `repl` interface looks for the RETRO image (`ngaImage`) in the current
working. If not found, this will use an embedded copy.