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- Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
- Subject: An Open ANSI Forth Implementation
- Message-ID: <3995.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
- From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
- Date: 18 Aug 92 11:49:22 GMT
- Organization: EIEI-U
- Lines: 29
-
- Category 10, Topic 41
- Message 58 Tue Aug 18, 1992
- E.RATHER [Elizabeth] at 01:33 EDT
-
- Bevan writes: How do I _evaluate_ different FORTHs without having to buy them
- and
- try them out?
-
- Well, you can look at what features they offer, talk to current users, buy
- documentation (for maybe .1 the cost of the system), etc.
-
- Someone else worried about becoming dependent on the features that
- differentiate the various commercial Forths. If they're the features you
- need, I'd look at it as saving you the cost of re-inventing them. This is an
- advantage, not a liability. If you roll your own, you not only foot the bill
- for doing so, you're stuck supporting it forever... or your employer is stuck
- with a system whose only guru has gone down the road. Whereas a supported
- commercial system backed by a reputable vendor with a history will be there to
- support you.
-
- I see no reason to fear being "trapped" on a single platform. Again, most
- commercial vendors support multiple platforms...if that's important to you,
- that should be one of your evaluation criteria. And, of course, it's also why
- folks were willing to invest so heavily in ANS Forth.
- -----
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