Go fast, go FORTH

20 years ago, Charles Moore was the world´s only FORTH programmer. Today, FORTH is available on virtually every commercial processor, and is enjoying something of a boom in popularity. In part this is attributable to the highly distinctive nature of FORTH-it is very different from other languages and, as such, has a certain curiosity value. Ultimately, however, a programming language is just a tool, and in FORTH Charles Moore produced a tool of considerable power. The author shows how FORTH offers fast interactive development, fast execution, combined with direct access to the hardware-three solid virtues which, the vagaries of fashion notwithstanding, should ensure that FORTH remains an important language in the demanding world of real-time control