| Since a Forth application is extensible and Forth compiles incrementally, it is neither necessary nor desirable to make modifications or extensions by revising and recompiling the entire system. |
I emphasize this point because it is different from the situation that arises with conventional compiled languages.
It has been found best, once a basic system is in place, to treat it as the implementation of a language: The language should be documented and not frequently subjected to total revision. Additions and modifications can be made as extensions to the existing system.
Most Forth implementations, including Win32Forth, have a provision to "save the system". The result is an executable that combines the underlying Forth system with the extensions added by the user. The combined system is then used as if Forth came with the user's words.
When I have used Groups32 for instruction, I have installed the executable on a file server, and the basic system is unchanged once installed. It is nevertheless possible to make changes and additions as the course progresses: Win32Forth reads a configuration file after the system is loaded. (Groups32 is saved as an executable with the configuration file designated Groups32.cfg.)
The line
INCLUDE <pathname> updates.f
is placed in the configuration file. The file "updates.f" is placed in a public directory, and the instructor has read/write privileges. All extensions, modifications, bug fixes, etc. are made in the file updates.f.