Launched this week
ST3PH-FORTH
Interactive Forth IDE & stack VM in vanilla JS
5 followers
Interactive Forth IDE & stack VM in vanilla JS
5 followers
A zero-dependency, bare-metal development environment with a linear memory map. Designed to bridge the gap between retro stack computing and modern WebAssembly.
The linear memory map approach feels really clean and the zero-dependency angle is refreshing. Curious if there's any tooling yet for debugging inside that bare-metal environment, since that part usually trips me up.
@smailryet Thank you! I really appreciate your feedback on the zero-dependency architecture and the linear memory map. You hit the nail on the head—debugging in a bare-metal, stack-based environment without high-level abstractions is always a fascinating challenge.
Currently, since the runtime doesn't have standard console print words, debugging relies purely on low-level hardware and memory manipulation using the core instruction set:
1. Visual Framebuffer Debugging: You can use the `plot` word to render specific colored pixels at chosen coordinates to act as visual breakpoints or state indicators (similar to debugging an embedded microcontroller using real-world LEDs).
2. Memory Latch Peeking: Since all system variables, game states, and vectors are mapped directly to physical integer offsets in the 8192-cell Uint32Array, you can use the `@` (fetch) word to read and monitor memory states dynamically within your routines.
Building an explicit visual debugger—specifically an integrated IDE panel that renders the real-time state of the data stack and maps the 8192-word linear memory cells—is the top priority on my roadmap. I'd love to hear what specific debugging tools or inspector views would be most critical for your low-level testing workflow!
⏳ Final Hours Inside: Forth Compiler & Memory Combat 🚀
Hey Product Hunt community!
Our launch session is wrapping up, and your support today has been absolutely incredible. Thank you!
Before the curtain falls, I want to share a special insider treat for all the tech geeks here. Our current launch is a Forth Compiler, but look at the screenshot below.
This is a sneak peek of my Redcode language simulator for memory combat (Core War).
The cool part? Both projects are powered by the exact same technology — my custom-built engine. The same core architecture that compiles and runs Forth code also manages the virtual memory space where warrior programs fight for survival.
We are in the final stretch! If you haven't checked out our Forth launch yet, now is the time.
Let’s finish strong and talk architecture in the comments! 💻🔥
Behind the 520th place: Why launch a Forth Simulator on Product Hunt?
Hey Hunters! ✌️
My recent launch of interactive-forth-wasm-ide ended up at the 520th place, and I completely get it. On a platform where everyone is looking for commercial B2B SaaS tools or AI slide generators, a hardcore Forth language simulator naturally drops to the bottom.
Let’s be honest from the start: this project has zero commercial value. None. And I knew it since day one.
Instead, this launch is a pure academic performance. It is my personal statement to highlight the difference between price and actual value.
Think of it as a hardcore brain-teaser and a coding gym built for one reason — to drag you out of your comfort zone. It forces you to look at modern programming from a completely different angle using dual-stack topology and bare-metal linear memory. Here, you can solve low-level puzzles at your own pace or play a Snake game written entirely in raw Forth.
But that was just a teaser of what I can actually build.
If the Forth emulator feels too peaceful for you, I’ve used the exact same custom engine architecture to build a Core War (Memory Battle) simulator. That’s where the real digital gladiator hardcore begins. You face a real opponent — a hostile program that actively tries to overwrite your code, flood your memory with NOP instructions, and crash your runtime in real-time. It’s pure byte-code survival.
Why am I showing you this? I build these things to showcase my engineering level, core skills, and architectural depth. I love complex, non-standard challenges at the intersection of virtual machines, custom runtimes, and low-level optimization.
Right now, I’m actively looking for challenging tasks, interesting collaborations, and ambitious R&D projects that will make my brain melt just like this engine does. If you have a coding challenge worthy of my skills or want to build something insane together — let’s connect in the comments or DMs.
Let's break some tech boundaries together! 🚀
Hi Product Hunt community, Hunters & Makers!
I just wanted to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who supported this launch. I completely realize that a GPU-driven Forth virtual machine is a highly unconventional and deeply niche concept. It has almost zero immediate commercial value. It was designed strictly as an academic experiment and a proof-of-concept for low-level tech enthusiasts and architecture geeks.
Seeing such an amazing response to a raw engineering project means the world to me. Thank you for validating the math and the effort behind it. I truly appreciate every single vote and comment!