FlashForth V 3.0 released

[Mikael Nordman]

I released FF3.0 today.

The main feature is replacement of DO LOOP
with FOR NEXT and a P (pointer) register.

FF3.0 is slightly faster due to the mildly optimising compiler and inline literals.

Also the assembler has been rewritten.

And there is a wordlist.

Below is the Change info:

FlashForth V3.0
---------------
- DO LOOP +LOOP I UNLOOP removed
  Replaced by FOR NEXT R@ UNNEXT and the pointer words
- A pointer register called P and associated words has been introduced.
- Assembler rewritten. It has now structured conditionals.
- IHERE and I, IC, exposed to user.
- ROM changed to FLASH
- FLASH RAM EEPROM stores the current data space context.
  It can be restored by the word >CS.
- The compiler generates some optimised code
  - Inline literals
  - Inline ZEROSENSE
  - Inline FOR NEXT
  - DUP and 0= before IF UNTIL WHILE are optimised away
- NONAME: changed to :NONAME
- U.2 U.4 replaced by U.R
- Assembler structured conditionals are in the core and are used to implement
  the Forth conditionals.
- @EX introduced
- SEE displays unknown code as numbers only.
- Input numbers can be prefixed by # $ % for decimal hex or binary conversion
  independently of BASE.

Hope someone finds FlashForth useful !

Regards Mikael

[Fred Zelders]

What is the advantage of using the P register instead of using a variable I can define myself?
Is it because of the P register associated words or are there other advantages?

[Mikael Nordman]

The advantage comes from the associated words, and by having a kind of consistency.
Advantages compared to a variable is that the P register is multitasking safe and also re-entrant, and the associated words are more efficient than if you define them yourself.

Myself I have had very little use of those P words, so in FF6 I removed them.
They are mostly cute and an attempt to mimic pointers in C.

[Fred Zelders]

OK Mikael. Thank you for your explanation.
Does your remark about FF6 mean that there will be no P register and associated words available for all of us?

[Mikael Nordman]

Yes, no P register is FF6, but I don't know if it will ever go further than alpha state.

[Fred Zelders]

Well we'll wait and see :-)
Thank you Mikael.

You do a great job with FF!