What is Forth written in?
The Forth compiler is written in Assembly (reported). Forth is self-hosting.
Quick Facts
- Designed by
- Charles H. Moore
- First released
- 1970
- Typing
- none
- Filename extension
- .fth, .fs, .4th, .fb, .f, .forth
- Website
- forth-standard.org
About Forth
Forth is a programming language. Forth is executed directly by an interpreter. It supports imperative, procedural, and concurrent programming.
Forth first appeared in 1970 and was designed by Charles H. Moore. Its popularity peaked around 1985. Forth is now used mainly in specialized niches and by dedicated communities.
How Forth is implemented
In the Language Lineage dataset, Forth is self-hosting, so its own compiler is written in Forth itself. Reaching self-hosting, where a language is mature enough to compile itself, is a milestone that proves the language can handle a large, real-world program.
Forth in the language family tree
Forth drew on ideas from Lisp, APL, and Burroughs large systems and went on to influence Factor.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikidata · Official site
Frequently Asked Questions
What language is Forth written in?
Forth is primarily implemented in Assembly. See the implementation section above for details and source references.
Which languages did Forth influence?
Forth influenced Factor among others.
Is Forth self-hosting?
Yes, Forth is self-hosting, its compiler can compile itself.
When was Forth first released?
Forth was first released in 1970. It was designed by Charles H. Moore.
Evidence Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factor_(programming_language)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_(programming_language)
- Forth on Wikidata (Q275472)