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docs/oddities.md

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+# Oddities
+
+Cagire's Forth is not a classic Forth. It borrows the core ideas (stack-based evaluation, postfix notation, word definitions) but adds modern features and domain-specific extensions. If you know traditional Forth, here are the differences.
+
+## Comments
+
+Classic Forth uses parentheses for comments:
+
+```forth
+( this is a comment )
+```
+
+Cagire uses double semicolons:
+
+```forth
+;; this is a comment
+```
+
+Everything after `;;` until the end of the line is ignored.
+
+## Quotations
+
+Classic Forth has no quotations. Code is not a value you can pass around.
+
+Cagire has first-class quotations using curly braces:
+
+```forth
+{ dup + }
+```
+
+This pushes a block of code onto the stack. You can store it, pass it to other words, and execute it later. Quotations enable conditionals, probability, and cycling.
+
+## Conditionals
+
+Classic Forth uses `IF ... ELSE ... THEN`:
+
+```forth
+x 0 > IF 1 ELSE -1 THEN
+```
+
+Cagire supports this syntax but also provides quotation-based conditionals:
+
+```forth
+{ 1 } { -1 } x 0 > ifelse
+```
+
+The words `?` and `!?` execute a quotation based on a condition:
+
+```forth
+{ "kick" s . } coin ?     ;; execute if coin is 1
+{ "snare" s . } coin !?   ;; execute if coin is 0
+```
+
+## Strings
+
+Classic Forth has limited string support. You print strings with `."`:
+
+```forth
+." Hello World"
+```
+
+Cagire has first-class strings:
+
+```forth
+"hello"
+```
+
+This pushes a string value onto the stack. Strings are used for sound names, sample names, and variable keys. You often do not need quotes at all. Any unrecognized word becomes a string automatically:
+
+```forth
+kick s .       ;; "kick" is not a word, so it becomes the string "kick"
+myweirdname    ;; pushes "myweirdname" onto the stack
+```
+
+This makes scripts cleaner. You only need quotes when the string contains spaces or conflicts with a real word.
+
+## Variables
+
+Classic Forth declares variables explicitly:
+
+```forth
+VARIABLE x
+10 x !
+x @
+```
+
+Cagire uses prefix syntax:
+
+```forth
+10 !x    ;; store 10 in x
+@x       ;; fetch x (returns 0 if undefined)
+```
+
+No declaration needed. Variables spring into existence when you store to them.
+
+## Floating Point
+
+Classic Forth (in its original form) has no floating point. Numbers are integers. Floating point was added later as an optional extension with separate words. Cagire has native floating point:
+
+```forth
+3.14159
+0.5 0.3 +    ;; 0.8
+```
+
+Integers and floats mix freely. Division always produces a float.
+
+## Loops
+
+Classic Forth has `DO ... LOOP`:
+
+```forth
+10 0 DO I . LOOP
+```
+
+Cagire uses a quotation-based loop with `times`:
+
+```forth
+4 { @i . } times    ;; prints 0 1 2 3
+```
+
+The loop counter is stored in the variable `i`, accessed with `@i`. This fits Cagire's style where control flow uses quotations.
+
+```forth
+4 { @i 4 / at hat s . } times    ;; hat at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75
+4 { c4 @i + note sine s . } times ;; ascending notes
+```
+
+For generating sequences without side effects, use `..` or `gen`:
+
+```forth
+1 5 ..          ;; pushes 1 2 3 4 5
+{ dup * } 4 gen ;; pushes 0 1 4 9 (squares)
+```
+
+## The Command Register
+
+This is completely unique to Cagire. Traditional Forth programs print text. Cagire programs build sound commands.
+
+The command register accumulates a sound name and parameters:
+
+```forth
+"sine" sound    ;; set sound
+440 freq        ;; add parameter
+0.5 gain        ;; add parameter
+.               ;; emit and clear
+```
+
+Nothing is sent to the audio engine until you emit with `.`. This is unlike any classic Forth.
+
+## Context Words
+
+Cagire provides words that read the current sequencer state:
+
+```forth
+step    ;; current step index (0-127)
+beat    ;; current beat position
+iter    ;; pattern iteration count
+tempo   ;; current BPM
+phase   ;; position in bar (0-1)
+```
+
+These have no equivalent in classic Forth. They connect your script to the sequencer's timeline.
+
+## Probability
+
+Classic Forth is deterministic. Cagire has built-in randomness:
+
+```forth
+{ "snare" s . } 50 prob       ;; 50% chance
+{ "clap" s . } 0.25 chance    ;; 25% chance
+{ "hat" s . } often           ;; 75% chance
+{ "rim" s . } sometimes       ;; 50% chance
+{ "tom" s . } rarely          ;; 25% chance
+```
+
+These words take a quotation and execute it probabilistically.
+
+## Cycling
+
+Cagire has built-in support for cycling through values. Push values onto the stack, then select one based on pattern state:
+
+```forth
+60 64 67 3 cycle note
+```
+
+Each time the step runs, a different note is selected. The `3` tells `cycle` how many values to pick from.
+
+You can also use quotations if you need to execute code:
+
+```forth
+{ c4 note } { e4 note } { g4 note } 3 cycle
+```
+
+When the selected value is a quotation, it gets executed. When it is a plain value, it gets pushed onto the stack.
+
+Three cycling words exist:
+
+- `cycle` - selects based on `runs` (how many times this step has played)
+- `pcycle` - selects based on `iter` (how many times the pattern has looped)
+- `tcycle` - creates a cycle list that resolves at emit time
+
+The difference between `cycle` and `pcycle` matters when patterns have different lengths. `cycle` counts per-step, `pcycle` counts per-pattern.
+
+`tcycle` is special. It does not select immediately. Instead it creates a value that cycles when emitted:
+
+```forth
+0.3 0.5 0.7 3 tcycle gain
+```
+
+If you emit multiple times in one step (using `at`), each emit gets the next value from the cycle.
+
+## Summary
+
+Cagire's Forth is a domain-specific language for music. It keeps Forth's elegance (stack, postfix, definitions) but adapts it for live coding.