mccamy@lymph.DEC (01/29/86)
From: "...decvax!decwrl!rhea!Squirt!McCamy"
Merrimack, New Hampshire
I recently purchased the 520 ST. I'm new to this user group
and have some questions.
1. Does anyone have experience with the Modula-2 software
developed by a British group?
2. What does one get in the development package offered
by Atari for $300?
3. I did not receive BASIC with my computer, Atari is
sending it to me. Is this a powerful implementation
of BASIC or would I be better off with another
language/software that better utilizes the capabilities
of the 520 ST? I want a development language that allows
structured programming and taps the powerful graphics
capabilities of the 520 ST.
I've never used 'C' before, does anyone out there recommend
it, and why?
Sorry if I've rehashed old questions.
boomsma@ark.UUCP (02/03/86)
In article <789@decwrl.DEC.COM> you write: > >1. Does anyone have experience with the Modula-2 software > developed by a British group? Yes, it's a very complete system, with 6-pass compiler, linker and screen-editor. However, it has some disadvantages since Modula-2 uses many files for IMPLEMENTATION and DEFINITION modules, so it takes much disk space and time to compile and link a simple application. > >2. What does one get in the development package offered > by Atari for $300? > You get: i. The C-compiler and pre-processor (cp68.prg, c068.prg, c168.prg) ii. The linker and relocator (link68.prg, relmod.prg) iii. A utility disk (dump68.prg. size68.prg, command.prg, etc.) iv. The Resource Construction Set (rcs.prg) > >3. I did not receive BASIC with my computer, Atari is > sending it to me. Is this a powerful implementation > of BASIC or would I be better off with another > language/software that better utilizes the capabilities > of the 520 ST? I want a development language that allows > structured programming and taps the powerful graphics > capabilities of the 520 ST. The Basic implementation is very much Microsoft compatible. However, I find it somewhat slow, because of the use of the GEM environment. I don't often use it, but that's maybe 'cause I'm not a Basic fan. > > I've never used 'C' before, does anyone out there recommend > it, and why? > I recommend it to you when you have experience with a Pascal-like language, and if you have no objections against less structural and more assembly-like statements. Then C would be a perfect combination of a structured language and a development tool for you. Other languages you can use for developing purposes are TDI Modula-2 (described above), and OSS Pascal and 4xForth, which I haven't seen but seem to be very powerful. -- Raoul Boomsma Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ...!mcvax!boomsma@ark.UUCP