=?windows-1255?Q?Re=3A_=5Bcolorforth=5D_if_then_else_-?= =?windows-1255?Q?_but_why_is_there_no_=91else=92_in_colo?= =?windows-1255?Q?rForth=3F?=

Evening Nick,
> This discussion has given me the confidence to improve
> some recent "iffing" in my program.  But I must confess
> that, as a humble hobbyist, I cannot follow any
> language
> in the abstract (not even my native Anglisch; after
> 70 years I still cannot tell what parts are grammar and
> what parts are syntax). The same with CF: I know what I
> want my hardware to do, I look for suitable words in
> CF, like if and then, and test them with simple
> numerical examples until the combine to do what I want.
>   
I had to look up Anglisch; not heard of that before.  Hmm, seems to have 
been a large influence on English.  Sorry: ignorant Brit.  I've just 
looked up syntax too, and I didnג€™t realise that that was separate from 
ג€˜grammarג€™.  I wonder if when old home computers used to say ג€syntax 
errorג€ that perhaps ג€grammar errorג€ might have been more accurate sometimes.
> "Simple" can be deceptive, as you say, and take hours;
> but there are no hidden paths and everything (that I
> can understand) lies nicely to hand. The factoring that
> you mention is part of the charm: using 2 stubby little
> words instead of 1 big portmanteau word (like the
> difference between modern Enlish and classical Greek).
>   
But still why is that better?  But I know: I'll just have to wait until 
I find a real example to see.
> What I really need to understand (in a practical way) is
> all those words in CF05 re USB, or some   Tim /Ray
> /Howerd blocks on networking.  I don't mind floppy r/w
> being slow; but I have 2 computers, each running CF,
> but neither will read the other's floppy.  
> However, they can read each other's memory cards. At
> present I transfer the one floppy to USB stick (via
> Linux dd) then take this stick over to the other
> computer and there build a new floppy (again via Linux
> dd) which the other computer can then r/w and boot
> from. I guess CF can r/w/boot from USB in principle
> (and from net also?), but I fear that I might not have
> enough hours /days /months /years ahead of me to work
> out how.  I am always happy pass on my own little stock
> of tips and annotations (eg, on PCI). If any CForther
> here has some tips on USBoot, then I would be glad to
> ponder them; else I shall just have to hope that my new
> floppy drive lasts.  
>   
Thatג€™s what I want too.  I'm working through the CF05 USB blocks, but 
I'm having to work out each word in each definition, which takes one to 
other blocks and the kernel (as I know you know) so itג€™s very slow, but 
exceedingly good fun.  In fact Iג€™ve not had such fun with computers 
since the days of ZX81s and BBCs  (I saw a Jupiter Ace in a shop once, 
but just thought it was really weird back then).

Anyway, Iג€™d just got up to ג€˜frג€™ and so had to get to grips with ג€˜if 
thenג€™, but as this isnג€™t for money I want to understand it fullyג€”thereג€™s 
no boss leaning over me saying ג€˜just get it to workג€™.

Floppy is perfect for me as I'm only using 6 cylinders, but my current 
CF computer is on its last legs and the others donג€™t boot this version 
of CF (2.0a is too slow to boot for me native) so I would like to get a 
USB floppy booting.  I know this sounds crazy, but floppies are cheap 
and easy to file away.  If I could get that far (which I know will 
require changing the boot sector) then I think USB flash booting would 
be little change.

Thereג€™s much to find out as it seems there are three protocol 
implementations and half a dozen command sets and itג€™s all quite 
nebulous to me at present.

Is USBoot something in CF2.0a?

Jason