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{{further|Reverse Polish notation}}
Forth emphasizes the use of small, simple functions called ''words''. Words for bigger tasks call upon many smaller words that each accomplish a distinct sub-task. A large Forth program is a hierarchy of words. These words, being distinct modules that communicate implicitly via a stack mechanism, can be prototyped, built and tested independently. The highest level of Forth code may resemble an English-language description of the application. Forth has been called a ''meta-application language'': a language that can be used to create [[Domain-specific language|problem-oriented languages]].<ref
Forth relies on explicit use of a [[stack data structure|data stack]] and [[reverse Polish notation]] which is commonly used in calculators from [[Hewlett-Packard]]. In RPN, the operator is placed after its operands, as opposed to the more common [[infix notation]] where the operator is placed between its operands. Postfix notation makes the language easier to parse and extend; Forth's flexibility makes a static [[Backus-Naur form|BNF]] grammar inappropriate, and it does not have a monolithic compiler. Extending the compiler only requires writing a new word, instead of modifying a grammar and changing the underlying implementation.
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* VFX Forth, optimizing native code Forth
* [https://littlemanstackmachine.org/firth.html Firth], an adaptation of Forth for the Little Man Stack Machine computer.
== See also ==
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== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
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