The forth docs I have been able to find equate 'vectored execution' with
defer words. However Open Firmware (ppc Mac, OFv4) has separate forth
header flags for 'vectored' and 'deferred'. 

The 1994 Open Firmware doc mentions fb8 routines being "vectored". On my
version of Open Firmware some of these words decompile as 'defer',
others as 'vectored' and some as both 'vectored' and 'defer' words.

When relevant, 'see' displays 'vectored' (like 'instance') as a
qualifier rather than an object type, even though it lacks a similar (or
any other) mention in the 1994 Open Firmware doc.

Does anyone know what Open Firmware means by 'vectored' as opposed to
defer word execution?

On Jun 10, 2:54=A0am, tinke...@optusnet.com.au (Tinkerer Atlarge) wrote:
> The forth docs I have been able to find equate 'vectored execution' with
> defer words. However Open Firmware (ppc Mac, OFv4) has separate forth
> header flags for 'vectored' and 'deferred'.
>
> The 1994 Open Firmware doc mentions fb8 routines being "vectored". On my
> version of Open Firmware some of these words decompile as 'defer',
> others as 'vectored' and some as both 'vectored' and 'defer' words.
>
> When relevant, 'see' displays 'vectored' (like 'instance') as a
> qualifier rather than an object type, even though it lacks a similar (or
> any other) mention in the 1994 Open Firmware doc.
>
> Does anyone know what Open Firmware means by 'vectored' as opposed to
> defer word execution?

A quick search of my source code shows a bunch of my check in comments
with this:

"5/15/01 DaR Add vectored definitions that work like instances without
packages"

I can't remember what I had in mind back then, but I suspect that it
was an array of deferred words, and a grep seems to support that
notion.

DaR

On 6/9/10 11:54 PM, Tinkerer Atlarge wrote:
> The forth docs I have been able to find equate 'vectored execution' with
> defer words. However Open Firmware (ppc Mac, OFv4) has separate forth
> header flags for 'vectored' and 'deferred'.
>
> The 1994 Open Firmware doc mentions fb8 routines being "vectored". On my
> version of Open Firmware some of these words decompile as 'defer',
> others as 'vectored' and some as both 'vectored' and 'defer' words.
>
> When relevant, 'see' displays 'vectored' (like 'instance') as a
> qualifier rather than an object type, even though it lacks a similar (or
> any other) mention in the 1994 Open Firmware doc.
>
> Does anyone know what Open Firmware means by 'vectored' as opposed to
> defer word execution?

The term "vectored execution" refers to any time when an xt is stored in 
a data structure and then fetched and EXECUTEd.  DEFER is a convenient 
way of managing a single xt, but sometimes they are managed in arrays or 
other kinds of structures.  For example, if you have a set of 
push-buttons that return a code, that code may be used to index into a 
table of xts for each button.  I don't specifically know the answer to 
your question, but I do know that OF uses vectored execution 
extensively, and I suspect that 'vectored' simply means the xt in 
question is not in a DEFER, but some other structure.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

-- 
==================================================
Elizabeth D. Rather   (US & Canada)   800-55-FORTH
FORTH Inc.                         +1 310.999.6784
5959 West Century Blvd. Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90045
http://www.forth.com

"Forth-based products and Services for real-time
applications since 1973."
==================================================

In article <1jjvxjy.1hgyae8f10ts4N%tinkerer@optusnet.com.au>, 
tinkerer@optusnet.com.au (Tinkerer Atlarge) wrote:

> Does anyone know what Open Firmware means by 'vectored' as opposed to
> defer word execution?

 Well while I do not know about Open Firmware, vectored commands in 
firmware used to mean a vector table was set up in RAM with jumps back 
to the firmware so routines could be altered by the user. That dates 
from Microsoft ROM Basic and probably earlier so additional or extended 
commands could be hooked in.

 Ken Young

In article <SaCdnVTU_YgntIzRnZ2dnUVZ_o-dnZ2d@supernews.com>,
Elizabeth D Rather  <erather@forth.com> wrote:
>On 6/9/10 11:54 PM, Tinkerer Atlarge wrote:
>> The forth docs I have been able to find equate 'vectored execution' with
>> defer words. However Open Firmware (ppc Mac, OFv4) has separate forth
>> header flags for 'vectored' and 'deferred'.
>>
>> The 1994 Open Firmware doc mentions fb8 routines being "vectored". On my
>> version of Open Firmware some of these words decompile as 'defer',
>> others as 'vectored' and some as both 'vectored' and 'defer' words.
>>
>> When relevant, 'see' displays 'vectored' (like 'instance') as a
>> qualifier rather than an object type, even though it lacks a similar (or
>> any other) mention in the 1994 Open Firmware doc.
>>
>> Does anyone know what Open Firmware means by 'vectored' as opposed to
>> defer word execution?
>
>The term "vectored execution" refers to any time when an xt is stored in
>a data structure and then fetched and EXECUTEd.

The term is general and not restricted to Forth. E.g. in C and similar
languages vectored executing can be realised by using function
pointers (which are awkward in C, but the technique remains useful.)

>
>Cheers,
>Elizabeth

Groetjes Albert

--
-- 
Albert van der Horst, UTRECHT,THE NETHERLANDS
Economic growth -- being exponential -- ultimately falters.
albert@spe&ar&c.xs4all.nl &=n http://home.hccnet.nl/a.w.m.van.der.horst

On 6/11/10 1:53 AM, Albert van der Horst wrote:
> In article<SaCdnVTU_YgntIzRnZ2dnUVZ_o-dnZ2d@supernews.com>,
> Elizabeth D Rather<erather@forth.com>  wrote:
>> On 6/9/10 11:54 PM, Tinkerer Atlarge wrote:
....
>>> Does anyone know what Open Firmware means by 'vectored' as opposed to
>>> defer word execution?
>>
>> The term "vectored execution" refers to any time when an xt is stored in
>> a data structure and then fetched and EXECUTEd.
>
> The term is general and not restricted to Forth. E.g. in C and similar
> languages vectored executing can be realised by using function
> pointers (which are awkward in C, but the technique remains useful.)

Yes, of course.  But the OP was asking what it means in Open Firmware, 
so what it means in the Forth context is an appropriate answer.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

-- 
==================================================
Elizabeth D. Rather   (US & Canada)   800-55-FORTH
FORTH Inc.                         +1 310.999.6784
5959 West Century Blvd. Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90045
http://www.forth.com

"Forth-based products and Services for real-time
applications since 1973."
==================================================