Skip to main content

Learn Forth

· 2 min read
John Crickett
Code Challenge Writer

6 Ways to learn Forth and 5 reasons why you should!

Reasons To Learn Forth​

  1. It teaches you how interpreters and stacks actually work - Forth makes the stack visible and central. You feel every push and pop. It’s a fantastic way to understand how low-level execution works, especially if you're building interpreters or compilers.

  2. You build the language as you use it - In Forth, the distinction between language and program blurs. You define new words that feel like language primitives. This gives you a powerful sense of how languages evolve and grow from a tiny core.

    It’s like using a tiny Lego kit to build your own programming language, piece by piece.

  3. It’s insanely small and portable - Forth systems can be written in a few kilobytes. That makes it ideal for embedded systems, bootloaders, or environments with tight constraints. It's also a great exercise in minimalism and efficiency.

    NASA used Forth on spacecraft because of its low memory footprint and runtime flexibility.

  4. It makes you think differently - Because it’s so different from modern high-level languages, Forth forces you to think differently. No variables, no classes, no syntax, just raw operations and control flow.

    It's like switching from driving an automatic to driving a race car with manual everything.

  5. It gives you total control - There’s no garbage collector, no runtime doing things behind your back. You’re close to the metal. You manage memory, define execution rules, and create abstractions from scratch.

    It’s a language for people who like knowing exactly what the machine is doing.

Ways To Learn Forth​

  1. Read: Starting Forth.
  2. Read: Forth Programmer's Handbook.
  3. Read: Forth Application Techniques.
  4. Install: A Forth Compiler, either SwiftForth or GNU’s Gforth
  5. Build: Build some real-world projects in Forth, if you need some ideas check out Coding Challenges.
  6. Read and Do: Easy Forth.