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DB004 arrayForth User's Manual
10. Appendix: Reference Material
10.1 Glossary of Terms
This section contains concise definitions of key elements, terms, and concepts of colorForth.
Character
A member of the colorForth character set.
Compilation
The process of interpreting a stream of color tagged words and numbers from a source block in RAM.
White (comment) and Blue (display functions) are ignored as are word extensions. Yellow words and
numbers are interpreted immediately when encountered; for words, only the forth word list is
searched. When a magenta word is encountered, a variable is added to the word list ( forth must
be selected) and its value is stored in the source code where the variable's definition appears; the
current value of any active variable is visible when displaying its source. When a red word is
encountered, that word is added to the forth or macro word list depending on which was
selected most recently, and associated with the next location in the dictionary (this is done in such a
way that preceding code may continue executing across the boundary identified by the red word).
When a green word is encountered, the macro word list is searched and if found that word is
executed immediately. If not found a green word is next searched in the forth word list and if
found a call to that word is compiled into the dictionary. Cyan is used to compile a call to a macro
rather than to execute it. Grey words are ignored by the PC compiler but are updated by the F18
compiler to hold F18 memory addresses. Every colorForth program, except the kernel, is compiled
from source when needed. No "object code" or other binary image format is saved or manipulated
except that F18 binaries reside temporarily in mass storage blocks for use by softsim, the IDE, or
stream building.
Editor
The program which displays a block of colorForth source code along with a control panel for a custom
keyboard interaction, and which is the main tool for maintaining the content of source code.
Interpretation
The process of acting immediately by direction of words and numbers. When a number is
encountered it is pushed onto the stack. When a word is encountered it is executed. This is what the
Interpreter does with all input received from the keyboard. When loading a block, the interpreter
processes yellow words and numbers in the same way. When other colors are encountered, they are
handled as described above in Compilation.
Number
An integer in 32-bit, twos complement form. When used in the context of code or communications
with F18 processors, only the low order 18 bits of a number are sent to the F18, and only 18 bits are
received back.
Tag
A number which is combined with the internal binary representation of a word to identify it
syntactically.
Text Entry Mode A state of the system during which the keyboard is being used for entry of text, meaning words or
numbers. When in this mode, one of two possible keyboard behaviors is active: QWERTY, or dvorak.
Anything colorForth understands may be typed using either keyboard, but each has its own meanings
for the keyboard buttons, each has a different protocol for indicating whether a word or a number is
being entered, and each makes different use of the keyboard hint area of the display.
Word
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When referring to memory, a word is either 32 bits (on the PC platforms) or 18 bits (on the F18
computers.) When referring to colorForth words, a word is a string of one or more characters that
are Shannon coded and tagged.
Copyright© 2010-2011 GreenArrays, Inc. 10/30/13