> 20060821 First draft

> Rationale
> =========
> Problem
> -------
> Various words have been used to gneration a new name for an
> existing word. This required when porting code and when
> generating application wordlists that contain a reference
> to an existing word, e.g. when providing limited access
> to Forth system kernel words.

> Especially with native code compiling Forth systems, these
> words have not provided full access to the required behaviour
> which requires carnal knowledge of the underlying system, which
> is one reason why SYNONYM should be standardised.

> Current practice
> ----------------
> The proposed form SYNONYM has been in use at MPE with cross
> compilers and VFX Forth since 1998.

> Solution
> --------
> Although many people have objected to parsing words, parsing
> permits the host system the most flexibility in implementation
> and is thus the preferred solution.

> The syntax is:
>   SYNONYM <newname> <oldname>
> where <newname> will behave identically to <oldname>.

> Note that <newname> may be the same as <oldname>.

> Proposal
> ========
> 10.6.2.xxxx SYNONYM
> synonym FACILITY EXT

> ( "<spaces>newname" "<spaces>oldname" -- )
> For both strings kip leading space delimiters. Parse name
>  delimited by a space. Create a new word newname whose
> execution behaviour is identical to that of the existing word
> oldname. Newname may be the same as oldname.

> Ambiguous conditions:
>   The word newname is parsed by ' or ['] or POSTPONE.
>   oldname is not found.

> Labelling
> =========
> TBD

> Reference Implementation
> ========================
> The implementation of SYNONYM requires carnal knowledge of the host
> implementation, which is one reason why it should be standardised.
> The implementation below is imperfect and specific to VFX Forth.

> : Synonym  \ <"new-name"> <"curdef"> --
> \ *G Create a new definition which redirects to an existing one.
>   create immediate
>     hide  ' ,  reveal
>   does>
>     @  state @ 0=  over immediate? or
>     if  execute  else  compile,  then
> ;

> Test Cases
> ==========
> TBD

> --
> Stephen Pelc, stephen...@mpeforth.com
> MicroProcessor Engineering Ltd - More Real, Less Time
> 133 Hill Lane, Southampton SO15 5AF, England
> tel: +44 (0)23 8063 1441, fax: +44 (0)23 8033 9691
> web: http://www.mpeforth.com - free VFX Forth downloads

> ALIAS is used for the same purpose
> ' <oldname> ALIAS NEWNAME

> Its syntax is similar to IS.
> My personal vote is for ALIAS

>ALIAS is used for the same purpose
>' <oldname> ALIAS NEWNAME

>Its syntax is similar to IS.
>My personal vote is for ALIAS

> Stephen Pelc wrote:
> > RfD - Synonyms
> > ...
> > The syntax is:
> >   SYNONYM <newname> <oldname>
> > where <newname> will behave identically to <oldname>.

> > Note that <newname> may be the same as <oldname>.

> ...
> Win32Forth already supports SYNONYM with the same syntax.

> > Stephen Pelc wrote:
> > > RfD - Synonyms
> > > ...
> > > The syntax is:
> > >   SYNONYM <newname> <oldname>
> > > where <newname> will behave identically to <oldname>.

> > > Note that <newname> may be the same as <oldname>.

> > ...
> > Win32Forth already supports SYNONYM with the same syntax.

> Not so fast :)

> I wonder how many missed the part in the spec about making
> aliases with the same name!

> A conforming  SYNONYM  should be able to handle this:

>     \ Test SYNONYM ability to make alias with same name
>     CR
>     FORTH ALSO DEFINITIONS
>     : TEST  ." hello " ;
>     VOCABULARY NEWVOC
>     NEWVOC DEFINITIONS
>     SYNONYM TEST TEST  ( make alias in new vocab )
>     CR .( now testing alias ) CR
>     NEWVOC  TEST

> > Stephen Pelc wrote:
> > > RfD - Synonyms
> > > ...
> > > The syntax is:
> > >   SYNONYM <newname> <oldname>
> > > where <newname> will behave identically to <oldname>.

> > > Note that <newname> may be the same as <oldname>.

> > ...
> > Win32Forth already supports SYNONYM with the same syntax.

> Not so fast :)

>     \ Test SYNONYM ability to make alias with same name
>     CR
>     FORTH ALSO DEFINITIONS
>     : TEST  ." hello " ;
>     VOCABULARY NEWVOC
>     NEWVOC DEFINITIONS
>     SYNONYM TEST TEST  ( make alias in new vocab )
>     CR .( now testing alias ) CR
>     NEWVOC  TEST

> > > Stephen Pelc wrote:
> > > > RfD - Synonyms
> > > > ...
> > > > The syntax is:
> > > >   SYNONYM <newname> <oldname>
> > > > where <newname> will behave identically to <oldname>.

> > > > Note that <newname> may be the same as <oldname>.

> > > ...
> > > Win32Forth already supports SYNONYM with the same syntax.

> > Not so fast :)

> How slow do you want it. -;)

> > I wonder how many missed the part in the spec about making
> > aliases with the same name!

> Not me I saw it.

> > A conforming  SYNONYM  should be able to handle this:

> >     \ Test SYNONYM ability to make alias with same name
> >     CR
> >     FORTH ALSO DEFINITIONS
> >     : TEST  ." hello " ;
> >     VOCABULARY NEWVOC
> >     NEWVOC DEFINITIONS
> >     SYNONYM TEST TEST  ( make alias in new vocab )
> >     CR .( now testing alias ) CR
> >     NEWVOC  TEST

> Win32Forth supports that. I've used both SYNONYM and ALIAS (which
> always makes the new word non-immediate irrespective of the immediacy
> of the original) to have the same word in diffrent vocabularies many a
> time. It's even used in the system for putting FORTH FORTH-WORDLIST and
> SET-ORDER in the ROOT vocabulary (the one that's always available after
> ONLY) as well as the FORTH vocabulary, so I know it works.

> George Hubert