This software is an ANSI Standard environment for Forth programming. It provides a powerful and flexible platform for developers to write efficient code, helping to streamline their workflow and boost their productivity. Its adherence to the ANSI standard ensures that code written in this environment is portable and maintainable.
I recently had the opportunity to review the Portable Forth Environment (PFE), a software package based on the ANSI Standard for Forth. The PFE was originally created by Dirk-Uwe Zoller and was maintained up to the 0.9.x versions (1993-1995). However, Tektronix adopted the package in 1998 and made a number of extensions.
One of the standout features of the PFE is that it is now fully multithreaded and it includes a module system. Users can load additional C objects at runtime to extend the Forth dictionary. The software is best suited for embedded environments since users can easily exchange the terminal driver and the initialization routines.
The PFE aims to achieve a number of design objectives, including CORRECT behavior, which means that all the interaction of all parts works as specified by the standard. In addition, the software behaves in TRADITIONAL ways beyond the standard so that users can easily adapt sources from older Forth systems to the PFE. The PFE is also COMPLETE, with powerful computers on the desk and powerful programming environments there is no need to and no use in strategies like "here kernel, there xyz word set" that might be appropriate on a microcontroller.
PORTABILITY is also a key objective of the PFE. The software uses autoconf/automake for automatic system detection, and its drivers for system interaction are largely separated out. The PFE is also USABLE as a development environment. It allows users to manage multiple-source-file-projects from within, and includes a source debugger and help files.
Furthermore, the PFE is SIMPLE or transparent, with a coding style that makes it easy to pick up PFE and adapt it to whatever environment it shall run in. The software is also MODULAR, allowing users to add extensions during runtime. There is no need to rebuild the PFE core for each different application, the main runtime can be shared and extended with extra modules.
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of the PFE is that it is available for FREE. Users can download and use the software without having to pay any fees. Additionally, the PFE is given away under LGPL (not the GPL!), which allows users to add dynamic extra modules under whatever copyright they wish to, even commercial ones. This means that there is no GPL virus here to worry about.
Finally, the PFE is OPEN. If users have a nice extra module, the developers are open to shipping it along and providing it with whatever hooks are needed in the LGPL core. Overall, I would highly recommend the PFE to anyone in need of a powerful, flexible, and free Forth programming environment.
One of the standout features of the PFE is that it is now fully multithreaded and it includes a module system. Users can load additional C objects at runtime to extend the Forth dictionary. The software is best suited for embedded environments since users can easily exchange the terminal driver and the initialization routines.
The PFE aims to achieve a number of design objectives, including CORRECT behavior, which means that all the interaction of all parts works as specified by the standard. In addition, the software behaves in TRADITIONAL ways beyond the standard so that users can easily adapt sources from older Forth systems to the PFE. The PFE is also COMPLETE, with powerful computers on the desk and powerful programming environments there is no need to and no use in strategies like "here kernel, there xyz word set" that might be appropriate on a microcontroller.
PORTABILITY is also a key objective of the PFE. The software uses autoconf/automake for automatic system detection, and its drivers for system interaction are largely separated out. The PFE is also USABLE as a development environment. It allows users to manage multiple-source-file-projects from within, and includes a source debugger and help files.
Furthermore, the PFE is SIMPLE or transparent, with a coding style that makes it easy to pick up PFE and adapt it to whatever environment it shall run in. The software is also MODULAR, allowing users to add extensions during runtime. There is no need to rebuild the PFE core for each different application, the main runtime can be shared and extended with extra modules.
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of the PFE is that it is available for FREE. Users can download and use the software without having to pay any fees. Additionally, the PFE is given away under LGPL (not the GPL!), which allows users to add dynamic extra modules under whatever copyright they wish to, even commercial ones. This means that there is no GPL virus here to worry about.
Finally, the PFE is OPEN. If users have a nice extra module, the developers are open to shipping it along and providing it with whatever hooks are needed in the LGPL core. Overall, I would highly recommend the PFE to anyone in need of a powerful, flexible, and free Forth programming environment.
What's New
Version 0.33.70: N/A