Anyway, some initial impression
Wow, immediately after installation
My forth code is properly color-coded
Some simple question but very important questions, especially qn2 n qn3
1) How do I do program tabs and also with spaces
2) How to have keywords with different colors, this is because there are classes of keywords, example stack manipulation keywords – one color, logic operation keywords another color etc, if you look at the sample color-coded file I send you, you will see that different class of keywords have different colors
3) How to set autocomplete for user words because in forth, a lot of user-defined constants and variables, example: constants = eCMD_TRANSCEIVE or eCMDReg
Or variables = bAUTHCTR or bSAMCSN7, too long to type in all the time. So autocomplete really useful
The good thing in forth is that your editor can be programmed with the scripting language to recognize a constant or variable and in forth, a lot of such formatting is standard, so the editor can really be forth aware easily and not only can prompt auto-complete, should be able to also give these constant or variable a distinct color as well.
In fact, if I am not mistaken, the editor is already doing this by recognizing that after : is a user-defined word function and give it a distinct color. This alone is one capability that I have never seen in any editor. Of course, every editor can claim that they can do it. Still only in Slickedit, I have seen it done now.
I am not even aware that it is possible to do this because of the two versions of programmer editor I use cannot do this easily without extensive programming
So to add for Example, forth rule = any complete word after a EQU or a CONSTANT is a constant, any complete word after a BUFFER or a xVariable is a variable, where x = c or w or l or none just remember that in forth space is not important, that is why my example file, aligning all the code for easy reading is more important due to more space is the same as one space.
So cVariable “ one space “ thisvariable is the same as cVariable “ lots of space “ thisvariable
In fact, my code can be easily factored to lot smaller. Aligning all of it shows where factorization is the most effective.
That is how forth programmers write forth code, they do the long version first, space aligning everything properly and in the proper color, then looking at the entire code page,
They can immediately notice where to factor repeated code and keywords and shrink the code as much as 50-70% without making the code unreadable
So at one stroke, the editor not only can prompt the correct word and also able to display the whole line including comments, the first time I have ever seen this capability in forth editor
Wow, all user-defined words appeared on search tab, super zoom-in function, awesome…
Pls show me the script file that I can look at and try to add such functionality, if possible do the above two examples or how did SlickEdit can recognize the user-defined word function. So that I can reference it and learn to add more. this will make the editor super duper for sure.
Since forth uses mostly user-defined words in constants, variables, word function other than the official keywords, etc. if the editor is aware of it, then the editor practically almost write itself after 3 letters
Forth is really a simple language with very friendly structure and very few rules which is it’s a blessing and also it’s a curse.
I am practically drooling already.
john