ABSTRACT

High-level languages, compilers, and interpreters have been developed in pursuit of more efficient and machine-dependent tools for programming. BASIC was designed as a computer language for beginners in the time-sharing environment. The modern high-level computer languages like C and PASCAL are much better organized in logical structures. The programming language FORTH allows for an extremely discretized style of program. The chapter introduces the programming language FORTH, to give a basic idea of how the FORTH system is organized, and to present concepts of how FORTH can be useful for shape analysis. The enhanced data structure offered by PASCAL is very attractive for programming for shape analysis, too. The PASCAL compiler written mostly in PASCAL appears beautiful in its modular structure, the largest modules being only as big as about 100 lines in the source codes. One of the methods to cope with this situation is the temporary use of substitutions for the modules which must eventually be developed.