From: dxforth@gmail.com   
      
   On 24/06/2025 7:30 pm, Hans Bezemer wrote:   
   > ...   
   > You'll also find it in my C work. There are a lot more "small functions"   
   than in your average C program. It works for me like an "inner API". Not to   
   mention uBasic/4tH - There are plenty of "one-liners" in my uBasic/4tH   
   programs.   
   >   
   > But that train of thought needs to be maintained - and it can only be   
   maintained by submitting to the very philosophy Forth was built upon. I feel   
   like if I would give in to locals, I'd be back to being an average C   
   programmer.   
      
   Forth forces an average programmer to adopt a level of organisation sooner   
   than a locals-   
   based language.  I suspect forthers that promote locals are well aware forth   
   is readable   
   and maintainable but are pursuing personal agendas of style which requires   
   implying the   
   opposite.  Why do I think so?  Because even when they use locals they still   
   try to be   
   Forth-ish and keep definitions short.  They know it's impossible to sell long   
   definitions   
   to a Forth programmer.   
      
   I've seen Forth applications written by the proverbial C programmer.    
   Curiously no locals   
   were used - perhaps because the programmer was seriously attempting to try out   
   Forth.   
   It may have been on the bucket list as he doesn't appear to have pursued it.    
   What gave it   
   away was the length of definitions which averaged 20 lines.  There were   
   occasional whoppers,   
   60 and 200 lines.  Even though code had been carefully indented to be   
   readable, it would   
   likely horrify the average Forth programmer.  In short, it lacked Forth   
   sensibility.  And   
   I think it's the latter that we're talking about in all these discussions.   
      
   > ...   
   > Nine times out of ten one doesn't need the amount of locals which are   
   applied. One doesn't need a 16 line word - at least not when you actually want   
   to maintain the darn thing. One could tackle the problem much more elegant.   
   >   
   > It's that feeling..   
      
   Agreed   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)