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The Delta Research people were at the BADGE meeting last night (10/16),
and were demonstrating their "JForth" product.

I'm not a "Forth person", so I can't really evaluate their product, but
since there has been some discussion on the availability, etc. of various
Forth's for the Amiga, I thought I'd go ahead and pass this along.

The following is extracted from Delta Research's flyer on their JForth
product.  I've edited out most of the superlative adjectives that are
typical in product flyers, and tried to extract the facts (as stated
by Delta).  Please do not consider this to be an endorsement of their
product by me, or my employer.  (Whew!)

With that said ...

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv JForth vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

                      developed for the Amiga


Completely interactive programming environment.

JForth contains both an interpreter and a compiler in one language,
providing an interactive environment.  You may compile programs
directly from the keyboard.

Programs are interactively debugged immediately following compilation.

Whereas Manx 'C' requires about 3.5 minutes to compile the Sieve of
Erastothenes, JForth completely compiles the standard Forth version
in less than 2 seconds.


JForth utilizes a technique known as "JSR-Threading" to tie together
compiled programs.  This essentially means that all code produced by
the compiler is directly executable.

The following chart compares JForth with 2 other Forth's, one of which
is similarly JSR-Threaded.  The operations are common Forth primatives
used in virtually all Forth programs.  The sieve mentioned is the
"Standard Unmodified" Sieve of Erastothenes benchmark.


                 Creative-Solutions | Palo Alto Shipping | Delta Research
                     Multi-Forth    |       Mach2        |     JForth
                   (Amiga 7.16MHz)  |   (Mac-Plus 8MHz)  | (Amiga 7.16MHz)
                 Indirect-Threading |    JSR-Threading   |  JSR-Threading
                                    |                    |
---Sequence-----------Time (in sec.) for 1,000,000 sequences-----------
                                    |                    |
Empty DO LOOP          14.14        |         3.75       |      2.86
    SWAP               11.22        |         9.68       |      4.64
  DUP DROP             11.14        |         5.15       |      3.54
 OVER DROP             11.72        |         5.98       |      5.96
23 45 + DROP           26.06        |        15.66       |      8.62
   >R R>               12.84        |        11.61       |      7.16
    ROT                15.44        |        23.61       |      9.92
 23 2* DROP            19.38        |        11.60       |      5.34
Sieve (10 iterations)  21.48        |        11.61       |      8.82




Much more besides speed:

+ Object-Oriented dialect (similar to NEON)
+ ASCII or 'SCREEN files (SCR editor provided)
+ 1983 Standard (1979 and FIG loadable)
+ Complete DEBUG package
+ Complete Floating Point package   [sorry, I didn't ask if it is IEEE]
+ JForth newsletter (free)
+ Local Stack variables
+ Assembler and Disassembler
+ Complete 32-bit implementation
+ Call ANY Amiga function by NAME
+ Optimizing target compiler ... no royalties
+ Many utilities provided
+ Updates available for postage, handling, and media
+ Elegant Amiga STRUCTURE interface



Price:  $99.95 (CA residents add 7% sales tax)


Contact:  Delta Research
          4054 Wilkie Way
          Palo Alto, CA 94306

          415-856-3669

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I did ask a few of the more obvious questions:

Q:  What's the availability of JForth?
A:  We're shipping it this month (October).

Q:  Is it copy protected?
A:  No!   [ Much applause from the onlookers! ]

Q:  Does it support ALL the Amiga functions?
A:  Yes.  (Everything that's in any Amiga Library.)

Q:  Does it work with 1.1 and 1.2?
A:  Yes, it was developed under 1.2.

Q:  Does it support extended (Fast) memory?
A:  We're running it with Pacific Cypress's memory board/expansion box
    right now.



My own impressions are that it is indeed a fast programming system, and
the product looked stable.  The person giving the demo had 6 or 7
JForth windows open at once, showing code, debug screens, program
execution that was using graphics calls, etc.

Hmmmm ... I've always wanted to learn about Forth ... maybe now is
the time.  (Time ... who has enough of it :-) )

Just for the record:  I'm not associated with Delta Research in any
                      way ... just passing along the information.

/kim


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[  Any thoughts or opinions which may or may not have been expressed  ]
[  herein are my own.  They are not necessarily those of my employer. ]