Presentation given at flatMap Oslo 2017
40 minute presentation given at flatMap Oslo 2017.
All code is located in the /code-folder.
The slides can be viewed here.
npm i && npm start to see a local copy.
The strange and wonderful family of languages known as Concatenative Programming
Languages had its golden era with FORTH in the 70s and early 80s, after which
they largely faded from the mainstream. Relegated to being of mostly academic
interest, we could question whether these languages still have a place in the
programming world of today.
The ability to quickly combine things in new ways, experiment with parameters
and tweak the compositions is integral to keeping the creative flow. Being the
product of a remarkably ahead of its time philosophy of programming, the FORTH
way of decomposing problems and composing solutions is a very good fit for
creative endeavors.
Are there still things to learn from this seemingly odd family of programming
languages? Can we explore the teachings of Concatenative Languages while having
fun being creative with programming? Let’s find out.