Re: why is it called a buffer

Tinkerer wrote:
> Elizabeth D Rather <erather@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> 
>> You do not say what version of Forth you're using, 
> 
> It's my 2003 eMac's boot monitor. Open Firmware's built-in forth
> 
>> but in the 
>> implementations I'm familiar with, BUFFER: is equivalent to the
sequence
>>
>>        CREATE <name> <number of bytes>  ALLOT
> 
> I can't tell how buffer: is implemented on my computer. When I type "see
> buffer:" I get:
> 
>   : buffer:
>    bd ^ff85.93c3  ^ff84.f258  ^ff85.93ff  ;  ok
>    0 > see bd
>    bd, unknown word
>    [...]
>    ^ff85.93c3, unknown word
> 
>  ... and so it goes, setting ever more puzzles but yielding no answers
> 
> Open Firmware guards its secrets well.. should be called Closed Shop.

Well, the intention was to create a generic boot system, not a 
full-feature development environment.  I imagine once a version is 
flashed onto a chip it has been optimized for both size and speed, and 
little thought is given to how niceties like "see" might work.  After 
all, an OF developer might actually be able to decode the output you see.

You could also try one of the many free Forths out there, some of which 
come with full source and a working debug environment.
-- 
clvrmnky <mailto:spamtrap@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>

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