🚀 go-pugleaf

I have some additions/corrections to my earlier note on HES 64FORTH.
Also, I think I may have generated a slightly more negative tone than
really deserved in some areas.

Firstly, the I/O error codes ARE in the 64FORTH manual; on the page
following the FORTH error codes.

Also, the description of being barely adequate was somewhat overly
pessimistic. It's just that I'm afraid that purchasers of 64FORTH may
not have any other FORTH reference material; they might judge the
utility and value of FORTH on what they can manage to get done based on
the booklet. The booklet gives the impression of being a tutorial - in
explaining the editor functions, for example - but it really doesn't
quite make it. Having read Brodie's "Starting FORTH" will make 64FORTH
much more usable.

One of my objections to the booklet is that there is a lot of
information squirreled away in places not easily found, particularly in
the glossary of words. And the only way to find it is to read through
the entire glossary and hope you can remember where it was you saw it
next time you need it. And, in keeping with the style of Brodie's book,
there is no index.

One of the things I discovered in the glossary was verification of
my conjecture regarding disk files using only 128 bytes (actually,
they say it's 129, but the extra one is probably not data but
housekeeping) out of 254 available. A mistake in my opinion.

I still haven't gotten around to using the sprite editor or the sound
control words. Maybe next week....

keith ericson at teklabs
keithe