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From: plewe@ks.mpi-dortmund.mpg.de (J.Plewe)
Subject: Re: Real-time systems:  Windows-NT or QNX
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Date: Tue, 18 Oct 1994 15:52:12 GMT
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Terry Sikes (tsikes@netcom.com) wrote:
: In article <jfoxCxs677.K3q@netcom.com>, Jeff Fox <jfox@netcom.com> wrote:
: >In article <FriOct14102309EST1994@eric> bernie@ecr.mu.OZ.AU 
: >           (Bernie Kirby) writes:

: [pro-Forth discourse compressed]

: Would you care to address the issue of Forth's reputation as an
: unmaintainable, write-only language?  ;)

This is not really a reputation, because reputations should be based on
facts. It's a rumour.
You do not know Forth, do you?

Forth is extendible, customizable, abstract, open, fast, simple, reliable.
And interactive.

People used to program in conventional languages like C cannot do theire 
job in Forth from one day to another. Like in Lisp, you have to use 
Forth-like thinking. You cannot say that a sequence like

	servo1 on
	10 ticks wait  
	servo2 on servo1 off

is unmaintainable and write-only. It is not up to the language, but to
the programmer wether a program is maintainable.
In real life, Forth programmers, who do not write C-programs with a Forth
system are *very* successful.

I am convinced that in many cases taking control over the hardware with 
a Forth system would have been better than to buy a RTOS. Then it is
possible to install a more specific solution, which of course is more 
robust und faster than a solution on top of a general multi purpose 
system.

So don't believe in rumours. Better ask the people who really know.

- Joerg


\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_                                                                          \_
\_ Dipl. Phys. Joerg Plewe                  Joerg.Plewe@MPI-Dortmund.MPG.de \_
\_ Max-Planck-Institut fuer molekulare Physiologie                          \_
\_ Rheinlanddamm 201, D-44139 Dortmund      +49 (0)231 1206-218   Fax: -464 \_
\_                                                                          \_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

I am not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am.
It is just the drunker I sit here the longer I get.


