[net.lang.pascal] Validation

MIY@PSUVM.BITNET (10/07/86)

Is there anyone out there that can tell me where to get a set of programs
to test out a Pascal compiler for a particular standard?

I heard there is such a thing as a "Pascal Validation Suite" that sounds
just "maaahvuhlus" for my needs and I'd be grateful for any related info.

Thanks in advance,

-Sohail Malik, Pennsylvania State University
miy@psuvm.BITNET, malik@gondor.UUCP, malik@penn-state.CSNET

marty@ism780c.UUCP (Marty Smith) (10/08/86)

In article <7762MIY@PSUVM> MIY@PSUVM.BITNET writes:
>
>Is there anyone out there that can tell me where to get a set of programs
>to test out a Pascal compiler for a particular standard?

Contact Sotware Consulting Services, 3162 Bath Pike, Nazareth, Pa 18064.
The validation suite costs $600.00.

					Marty Smith

randy@oresoft.UUCP (Randy Bush) (10/09/86)

The British Standards Institution is the certification organization for
Pascal.  They have an extensive Pascal Validation Suite, which may be
purchased for about $500, or they will run it for you and issue a nice
certificate.

robertd@copper.UUCP (Bob Dietrich) (10/16/86)

Although it is not truly "official" (that is, it is not distributed directly
by a standardization body), the Pascal Validation Suite (PVS) is used for
validating Pascal processors in the U.K., U.S., and other countries. It was
developed by people involved in Pascal standardization and is kept up to date
as errors are found and new interpretations of 7185 are made. The suite
consists of over seven hundred Pascal programs and costs $600 (well worth
it). The PVS is now at version 4.2.

In the U.S., contact:

	Software Consulting Services
	3162 Bath Pike
	Nazareth, PA  18064
	(215) 837-8484

There is also a compiler/interpreter package available which fully meets
level 0 (and level 1?) of the standard. Tools for dealing with validation are
also available.

brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (10/17/86)

In article <666@copper.UUCP> robertd@copper.UUCP (Bob Dietrich) writes:
>The suite
>consists of over seven hundred Pascal programs and costs $600 (well worth
>it). The PVS is now at version 4.2.
>In the U.S., contact:
>	Software Consulting Services
>	3162 Bath Pike
>	Nazareth, PA  18064
>	(215) 837-8484

It is a useful package, but I was never too thrilled with SCS.  As far
as I know, all they are doing officially is distributing this package of
programs, which is owned by the British Standards Institute and the U
of Tasmania.   Since the $600 I paid (up from $300 about 1.5 years ago)
was for "distribution" I was surprised that the thing came in a brown
envelope with dot matrix printer documentation (except for the BSI printed
stuff) and half a dozen hand-labeled floppy disks.   Total cost to them
to put the package together over here, about $30 (at most)

I was willing to pay money for the package -- these days there are
very few mistakes left in it, but I wonder just how much is getting
back to the authors, and how much stays with the uncooperative folks
at SCS.

If you are considering getting the package, remember that it is very much
for Standard Pascal.  A lot of the programs check to see if you catch errors
99% of compilers don't catch.  You have to be able to disable your
extensions, too, if you want to use many of them.
-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473