[net.micro.6809] code size vs. module size

jejones@ea.UUCP (12/26/85)

I'm revising the CUG qed/Nuxi ed lookalike editor to run reasonably under
OS-9 (currently using a 6809-based system, with Microware C).  When I look
at the .r files, I see the sum of the code sizes is around 6Kbytes, but
the module size is about 16K (!).

I can understand that a fair amount of library function stuff is being
dragged in, but gee whiz...I'm amazed.  Any suggestions on making the beastie
smaller? ("Write it in assembler" won't be appreciated save as comic relief.)
I guess it just goes to show how big a win cio is under OS-9/68K.

					James Jones

jimomura@lsuc.UUCP (Jim Omura) (12/30/85)

     While working with CP/M Small-C I noticed that 10K was about the smallest
program size I generally encountered.  I think that this is the 'stdio'
overhead and probably typical of most C compilers.  the 6K source to 16K
object code isn't really unusual.

     Interestingly, while we're discussing text editors, I put the source-
code for the "microEMACS" editor which was posted for the Amiga.  On the
Amiga, using Lattice C, it created a source code for about 40K.  I didn't
think we'd see a substantially smaller code size, but on the Color Computer
running OS-9 and using the Microware C compiler, one of our people compiled
it to an object code size of about 24K.  He has it running on the CoCo,
but only through a remote terminal (a Radio Shack DT100, probably running
as a VT-52 emulator--I didn't ask).  He had to break down the modules
to a lot of smaller modules and make a few minor changes, but he got it
to run in a few days.  I'm impressed.  I thought it was out of reach for
the Color Computer completely.

                                             Cheers! -- Jim O.

-- 
James Omura, Barrister & Solicitor, Toronto
ihnp4!utzoo!lsuc!jimomura
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