Another update for VolksForth Apple 1

Carsten Strotmann — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:55:29 -0000

The new Image now starts at 0x300, so you need to start it from the monitor with "300R". The top limit is now 0x7F00, giving more than 13K of free memory for Forth programs.

The system-io file "systemio.fb" has been updated, remaining german comments have been translated into english. The behavior of the backspace key has changed, it now prints an underscore "_" like the Woz monitor (the Apple 1 cannot backspace on the screen).

The developer wiki now has a ton of extra information about VolksForth: http://fossil.forth-ev.de/volksforth

-- Carsten

VolksForth for Apple 1 updated

Carsten Strotmann — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:06:55 -0000

I've updated the binary files and hex file. The new zip file contains "mkhex.py", a script to create a hex file from a binary file. Thanks to William R Sowerbutts for the python script and helping with the debugging

volksForth for CP/M upload

Carsten Strotmann — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:09:33 -0000

volksFORTH Readme

Version 1.2
18th August 2006 (cas)

volksFORTH is a 16bit Forth System produced by the german Forth Gesellschaft e.V. Major development of this system was done between 1985 until 1989. The volksFORTH Project was revived in 2005 with the goal to produce a manageable Forthsystem for computer systems with restricted system resources.

Some modern Forth Systems were influenced by or were derived from volksFORTH (GNU-Forth, bigForth).

The current Version of VolksForth is 3.81. Work on Version 3.90 has started.

At this time volksFORTH is available for this Systems:

volksFORTH MS-DOS (Intel x86 Architecture i8086-ia64)
volksFORTH 6502 (Commodore 64, Commodore Plus 4, Commodre C16, Atari XL/XE, Apple I)
volksFORTH Z80 (CP/M, Amstrad CPC)
volksFORTH 68000 (Atari ST)

VolksForth is in work for this Systems:

VolksForth MS-DOS (Atari Portfolio)
VolksForth 6502 (Apple II, Commodore PET)
VolksForth Z80 (Schneider CPC AMSDOS)
VolksForth 68000 (Mac Classic)

The volksFORTH Sources are made available under the terms of the
BSD License - http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php

The Handbook is Copyright (c) 1985 - 2006 Forth Gesellschaft
e.V. ( Klaus Schleisiek, Ulrich Hoffmann, Bernd Pennemann, Georg Rehfeld
and Dietrich Weineck).

The Handbook, binary Files and Source-code for volksFORTH as well as Information about
Forth Gesellschaft are available on the Forth Gesellschaft Web-server at
http://www.forth-ev.de/

(most of the Information is still in german. We are planning to provide future versions with english documentation)

Information and Help about the Programming Language Forth can be found on the Internet,
starting with the Website of the Forthgesellschaft, or in the Usenet Forum de.comp.lang.forth (via Google Groups: http://groups.google.de/group/de.comp.lang.forth )

Authors of volksForth/ultraForth are

- Bernd Pennemann,
- Claus Vogt,
- Dietrich Weineck,
- Georg Rehfeld,
- Klaus Schleisieck,
- Ulrich Hoffmann,
- Ewald Rieger,
- Carsten Strotmann.

Details for CP/M-volksFORTH

* System Prerequisites
CP/M or CPM+ system with floppy drive or harddrive

* Using volksFORTH in an Emulator
* volksForth 3.80a for CP/M has been tested in these
Emulators:
* YAZE-AG - http://www.mathematik.uni-ulm.de/users/ag/yaze/

* Website:
VolksForth is available ob SourceForge
http://volksForth.sf.net
and on the Website of Forth Gesellschaft (German Chapter of Forth Interst Group, FIG)
http://www.forth-ev.de

The Forth Live-Linux CD-ROM (available in the Download-section of the Forth Gesellschaft Website) includes the current Versions of volksFORTH direct usable without Installation including the Handbooks as PDF-Files.

Have fun with volksFORTH
the volksFORTH Team

Changes in CP/M-volksFORTH between Version 3.80 and Version 3.80a
UH 04March88
=============================================================================

The original CP/M-VolksForth was incompatible with CP/M+. Because of the
many version necessary to support the different CP/M Versions, a rework of
CP/M-volksForth was neccessary. We have fixed some issues on the way.

1. Changes in the Kernel (SOURCE.FB)

* The Terminal-I/O has been reduced to a minimal set, so that the kernal
is usable right away. The line editor has been moved out the kernal
together with all "Terminal:" functions into the file XINOUT.FB

* The kernel does not contain a fileinterface anymore, it uses the file
that has been specified on the commandline (default-file). Usually this
file contains the fileinterface which is loaded on the next step.

* direct Disk-I/O is not supported by the kernel anymore, because it is
not compatible with CP/M+. Diskaccess is only done via BDOS.

* many functions of the kernel has been newly implemented in assembler,
a new word "search" has been added that allows quick string searches
with capitalization

* the word CAPITALIZE has been replaced with the word UPPER. The word "exit"
in NAME has been moved because of this.

* the kernel prints its size in 256 byte pages when leaving. This can be used
to dump the kernel to disk using the CP/M "SAVE" command (don't forget to
make your changes in the Forth kernel with the forth word "save" first).

* SAVE-BUFFERS has been extended by a deferred wird SAVE-DOS-BUFFERS to
solve an issue with CP/M+

* the deferred word POSTLUDE has been added. It is responsible for the
last action before the CP/M warmstart (enable cursor, clear screen,
print size of the kernel ...)

* the command line from CP/M is now copied into the TIB (terminal input
buffer) and can be interpreted from there. Using the "default-file" will
however clear the TIB, so that this function can only be used after the
fileinterface is loaded (DRVINIT does not open the "default-file" then)

* the Interpret-Loop has been reworked and has been extended by the
word PROMPT. The special word ">INTERPRET" has been removed. Its
function is now done by the (normal) deferred word PARSER.

* the Control-Structur words (IF, WHILE, ...) are now available
outside word definitions (interactivly)

* misc small changes

2. Changes in the editor (EDITOR.FB, STRING.FB)

* the tagging od screens has been fixed and it now works correctly
with search/replace and with SHOWLOAD

* VIEW has been changed, it no searched inside the word enclosed by blanks

* the associative file is now displayed

* when using search/replace, the screennumber is incremented on the
screen to give a visual feedback of the search function

* the string search is now implemented in the kernal, the other string
functions has been moved into EDITOR.FB. STRING.FB has been removed.

3. Changes in the Multitasker (TASKER.FB)

* the word TASK has been changed: the constant is now defined before
the task, it is now possible to forget a task with FORGET <taskname>

* the PAUSE/WAKE/STOP flow has been changed, however there is no change
in the usage

4. Changes in the Fileinterface (FILEINT.FB)

* The fileinterface has been reworked. Some errors have been removed and
the names of many words have been changed to be more systematic. The
usage however is the same.

5. Terminal-Installation (adapt CP/M-volksForth to your CP/M system)

* because the kernel does not contain a fileinterface anymore, the file-
interface must be loaded before the simple-editor:

A> kernel fileint.fb
1 load
use primed.fb 1 load
use terminal.fb

6. How to create a standard CP/M-volksForth system:

* use the follwing command sequence to create the VOLKS4TH.COM from
a KERNEL.COM file:

A> kernel fileint.fb
1 load
include startup.fb

7. new and removed files

- XINOUT.FB terminalfunctions and line editor
- COPY.FB the functions COPY and CONVEY
- STRING.FB (removed)

VolksForth for the Western Design Center Mensch Computer

Carsten Strotmann — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 09:08:21 -0000

I'm currently working on a port of volksForth to the Mensch Computer System from Western Design Center (see http://www.westerndesigncenter.com/wdc/mensch_computer.cfm\)

I've got a Mensch Computer System from WDC as a development machine. First there will be a port of the 6502 volksForth, which will then be enhanced for the 65816 CPU in the Mensch Computer. Also driver for Printer, Modem, and Serial Line are planned.

First results will be available end of January 2007.

1st place in ABBUC Software contest

Carsten Strotmann — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 13:47:10 -0000

volksForth for Atari 8bit scored 1st place in the annual Atari Bit Byter User Club Software Contest
http://www.abbuc.de/modules.php?name=DocTree&dtIsBlk=y&dtId=248

The 500 Euro Price will be invested in new (old) Hardware to port volksForth to even more machines.

New volksForth Logo by Oliver Rapp

Carsten Strotmann — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 13:44:51 -0000

Oliver Rapp of "des-or.-mad Design" has made a new Logo for the volksForth Project. The Logo originally appeared on the ABBUC Magazin Disk October 2006 containing volksForth for the Atari 8bit.

volksForth 3.80.1 re-release for Commodora C64, C16, Plus4

Carsten Strotmann — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 13:56:08 -0000

volksForth for Commodore C64, C16 and Plus4 is being re-release in Version
3.80.1 on http://volksForth.sf.net

volksFORTH is a 16bit Forth System produced by the german Forth
Gesellschaft e.V. Major development of this system was done between 1985
until 1989. The volksFORTH Project was revived in 2005 with the goal to
produce a manageable Forthsystem for computer systems with restricted
system resources.

features:

* write once, run everywhere: volksForth 3.81 for Commodore 8bit is
sourcecode compatible with volksForth for Apple 1, Apple II, Atari XL,
PET, CP/M, Schneider CPC, MS-DOS, Atari Portfolio, Atari ST. A program
that is not using any machine specific features can be compiled and
executed on each volksForth System

* Complete: volksForth is a Forth 83 Standard Forth with many ANSI Forth
enhancements

* build in HEAP Memory Management

* 6502 Assembler, Forth code and Assembler code can be mixed

* Forth decompiler, can re-source Forth definitions

* 6502 Disassembler

* Tracer and Debugger: the tracer can execute Forthcode in Singlestop, can
automatic decompile and disassemble code and will monitor addresses and
the stack

* cooperative Multitasker

* full Sourcecode with Targetcompiler. the Forth Kernal is written in
volksForth an can be recompiled on a C64, C16 or Plus4

* 200 Page Handbook (currently in german language, we work on the english
version): http://www.forth-ev.de/filemgmt/visit.php?lid=12

Some modern Forth Systems were influenced by or were derived from
volksFORTH (GNU-Forth, bigForth).

The current Version of VolksForth is 3.81. Work on Version 3.90 has
started.

At this time volksFORTH is available for this Systems:

volksFORTH MS-DOS (Intel x86 Architecture i8086-ia64) volksFORTH 6502
(Commodore 64, Commodore Plus 4, Commodre C16, Atari XL/XE, Apple I)
volksFORTH Z80 (CP/M, Amstrad CPC)
volksFORTH 68000 (Atari ST)

VolksForth is in work for this Systems:

VolksForth MS-DOS (Atari Portfolio)
VolksForth 6502 (Apple II, Commodore PET) VolksForth Z80 (Schneider CPC
AMSDOS) VolksForth 68000 (Mac Classic)

The volksFORTH Sources are made available under the terms of the BSD
License - http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php

Forth Programming for Beginners

Carsten Strotmann — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 13:53:37 -0000

(this is not a commercial offering)

Forth Programming for Beginners

the volksForth Project is offering a Forth Programmers Training. The Training will be done in collaboration with the German Chapter for the Forth Interest Group.

The Training will take place on the 23rd to 24th September 2006 in Darmstadt (approx. 20 km from Frankurt Airport).

Content of the course is to learn the often challenging concepts of Forth in an interactive, hands on course. All participants will get a Training book, Training printouts and a Linux-Live CD-ROM with free Forth Systems.

The price is 32,50 Euro (basically the price of the book and the handouts).

Each participant will get a PC in the training room. It is also possible to bring in your own machine (from Homecomputers like C64,
Atari XL, Apple 2, CP/M-Machines, MS-DOS Maschines, Apple MacOS or MacOS X up to modern systems with Linux, FreeBSD, OS/2 or Windows).

This training will be held in German language.

If there is interest to have the training in english language in UK, Canada, Nederlands or other parts of the world, please contact me.

If you would like to join the training, please send an booking E-Mail until 9th September 2006 by E-Mail to Carsten Strotmann, forthkurs@strotmann.de.

Best regards

Carsten Strotmann

volksForth 3.81 first release for Atari 8bit machines

Carsten Strotmann — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 12:59:13 -0000

volksForth 6502 is now available for Atari 8bit machines (Atari 800, 800XL, 130XE).

Recent posts to news

Another update for VolksForth Apple 1

VolksForth for Apple 1 updated

volksForth for CP/M upload

VolksForth for the Western Design Center Mensch Computer

1st place in ABBUC Software contest

New volksForth Logo by Oliver Rapp

volksForth 3.80.1 re-release for Commodora C64, C16, Plus4

Forth Programming for Beginners

volksForth 3.81 first release for Atari 8bit machines