K538911@CZHRZU1A.BITNET (07/22/86)
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Subject: MODULA-2 for DEC-Professional
From: Patrik Eschle, K538911@CZHRZU1A.BITNET
University of Zurich, Physics Departement, Switzerland
We use MODULA-2 on PRO 380 under RT-11 to teach students how
to control an experiment with a computer. The compiler is the
old ETH 5-pass compiler for PDP-11, debugged in many ways.
If anybody is interested in this compiler (and if there is anybody
out there that also uses PRO380 ...) please contact me.
PatrikSYSMAN@NMSUVM1.BITNET (09/24/86)
OPTIONS: NOACK LOG SHORT NOTEBOOK ALL
Date: 24 September 1986, 10:47:29 GMT
From: SYSMAN at NMSUVM1
To: INFO-MODULA-2 at ROCHESTER.ARPA
Currently New Mexico State University is teaching all its Computer
Science core courses in MODULA-2. The compilers we are now using are
a Volition's P-system and Modula Corp. one pass compiler as well as
their two pass one. These are both run using IBM PC'S or compatibles.
One of the biggest gripes about the compilers is the compilation speed
although the Modula Corp. one pass is reportedly a big improvement.
Does anyone out there have a opinion on these compilers as compared
to others on the market ?
Also does anyone have an example of a program written in MODULA-2
that takes advantage of MODULA-2 's ability to do concurrent processes ?
If you could send me a listing I would greatly appreciate it.
MARK.harv@kansas-state.CSNET (Harvard Townsend) (09/26/86)
We are running Modula Corp.'s one-pass M2 compiler on a network (3COM) of Zenith PCs (IBM-compatible). In general, I am satisfied. The old 4-pass interpreter from them was SLOW, so this is a vast improvement. My experience with their products is that they are buggy (I found 3 bugs in the compiler the first day I received it), but they are usually quick to respond with fixes and (almost) free updates. The one-pass compiler really flies on a Z-158 with >=512K memory and a hard disk. The speed is satisfactory on a Z-150 (slower clock speed) with 320K and a single floppy drive on the network. So far the students haven't complained (except one student when the compiler locked up his PC due to a syntax error where he declared an identifier twice in the same scope! He had to turn off the PC to reboot. I called Modula Corp. about this one). We also bought their symbolic debugger. It is designed for a system with a mouse, but I have found it useful for tracking down obscure bugs. We have an OLD copy of the Logitech compiler. I have not used it in a long time, so I will withhold comment. We bought the Modula Corp. compiler because they were the lowest bidder. We got a VERY good deal, I believe. We bought a copy of a Modula-2 system from Interface Technologies in Houston, Texas. It was also buggy, but my biggest gripe was with their editor. It is a window-oriented, syntax-directed editor. I don't like syntax directed editors, but that is just my own bias. However, with one keystroke, you can erase your entire MODULE, and the "undo" command did not work in the editor. This is not very good for a student environment, to say the least. This was about 1-1/2 years ago, so I don't know what the product is like now - or if the company even exists, for that matter. I have many examples of MODULA-2 programs which use the coroutine facilities (note that they are not truely "concurrent processes", although you could build a time-slicing scheduler for coroutines, as many others have already). They are mostly from assignments for the undergraduate operating systems course I teach here. I'll send you some examples in separate messages. ______________________________________ Harvard Townsend, Systems Administrator Kansas State University, Dept. of Computer Science Manhattan, KS 66506 (913)532-6350 CSNET: harv@kansas-state -or- harv%kansas-state@csnet-relay.arpa -or- harv%kansas-state@relay.cs.net BITNET: harv@ksuvax1.bitnet -or- harv%ksuvax1.bitnet@WISCVM.WISC.EDU UUCP: ihnp4!ltuxa!ksuvax1!harv
SYSMAN@NMSUVM1.BITNET (10/08/86)
SORRY IT HAS TAKEN ME SO LONG TO GET BACK TO EVERYBODY WHO RESPONDED
TO MY QUERY ABOUT CONCURRENT PROCCESSES IN MODULA 2.
IT IS E-X-A-M TIME !!!
THANKS TO HARV TOWNSEND ( HARV@KSUVAX1.BITNET ) ESPECIALLY FOR THE
EXTRA EFFORT MADE IN UPLOADING A LARGE BUT INSTRUCTIVE PROGRAM FOR ME.
AS SOON AS I GET CAUGHT UP AND HAVE A CHANCE TO STUDY ALL OF THEM I
WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME COMMENTS. INTELLIGENT ONES ? MAYBE.
MEANWHILE HAS ANYBODY COME ACROSS A GOOD COMPILER FOR THE MACINTOSH
AND THE AMIGA. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO ACCESS THE TOOLBOX ROUTINES ?
HOW FAST ? YOU KNOW THE USUAL QUESTIONS YOU NEED ANSWERED.
THANKS MARK.