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Socoder -> Retro Coding -> Anyone try Forth on your retro machines?
Thu, 12 Jun 2025, 14:07
Pixel_Outlaw

Anyone try Forth on your retro machines?


I keep wanting to make time to learn Forth but damn, where is the time these days!?
Also available on quite a few 8 bits with some swapping the Basic ROM for Forth.
Seems like an excellent fit for the Spectrum.

It's cool that it's interactive and the computation model is very clean.

White Lightning for C64:

View on YouTube

Technical talk by the author:

View on YouTube

Here are some implementations I've poked around gathering.
Altair 8800 / IMSAI 8080 Early 8080 Forth systems and FIG‑Forth
Apple II / II+ / IIe Apple Forth (by Kriya Systems); FIG‑Forth ports; GraFORTH (graphics‑centric)
Atari 8‑bit (400/800/XL/XE) FIG‑Forth; Extended FIG‑Forth (APX); ES‑Forth; QS‑Forth; ValForth; internal “Coin‑Op Forth” demo
CP/M-based Z80/8080 systems FIG‑Forth; PolyForth; MVP‑Forth (portable across various CP/M machines)
Commodore 64 FIG‑Forth; 64FORTH (HES cartridge); DurexForth (ANSI‑2012 core); White Lightning
Epson HX‑20 (Z80-based portable) FIG‑Forth as ROM option for data‑logging
Jupiter Ace (Z80) ACE Forth built into ROM (native environment replacing BASIC); based on Forth‑79
KIM‑1 (MOS 6502) Minimal/1 KB Forth implementations
MSX (Z80) MSX‑Forth and other FIG‑Forth ports
TRS‑80 / TRS‑80 Color Computer FIG‑Forth; Micro‑Forth; Color Forth
ZX Spectrum / ZX81 / clones Artic/Spectrum Forth (“Spectrum FORTH” by Artic Computing); Abersoft Forth (FIG‑Forth); HL ZX Forth; ZX‑Forth (ZX81)
Thu, 12 Jun 2025, 14:35
Kuron
 		Years back, Dragon Basic was for compiling games for game boy/game boy color (IIRC, it supported both). DB was actually a forth compiler. It translated the BASIC to forth and then compiled that into an executable for the GB.

Was discussing Forth a couple of weeks ago. Among all of my code/backups lost, was a ZIP that had the same baseball game written in 14 different older languages, including Forth.
Thu, 12 Jun 2025, 15:28
Pixel_Outlaw
 		It's interesting in that you get a small "OS" a REPL and an editor all in one.

This guy's project is pretty cool!

View on YouTube
Thu, 12 Jun 2025, 16:02
Kuron
 		Other than the keyboard, that is awesome.