korn@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Peter "Arrgh" Korn) (11/11/85)
Below is an edited version of the review I wrote for "A Bit Short", the
ASUC Computer Store's newsletter on TML Pascal. If it sounds at all like
a "go out and buy this thing" spiel, it's becuase I really like the
product, and a "go out and buy this thing" kind of spiel is what I was
writing for the newsletter, vestiges of that may linger.
TML Pascal review.
........................ I'm just going to come out now and tell you that
this is a great product, and if your interrested in programming your
macintosh with any power, and aren't a C fanatic, (or loath Pascal for one
reason or another), GET THIS PRODUCT!
(and now to go over it's features, etc.)
For the list price of $99, you get (as of this review) two disks, forthcomming
documentation (I saw some in version 0.9, which was basically just missing
a few error messages, but was bug-free as far as I saw), and full access
to all the ROM routines in the Mac's (as of this review) 64K kernel.
On the disks you'll find the MDS Editor, Rmaker, Linker, and Assembler (which
costs you adout $100 from Apple right there), and TML's Pascal Compiler; and
almost 400K of examples and variable definitions (what a window variable
is, what a graphics port is, etc. defined for you straight out of Inside
Macintosh).
The sample programs include a sample Desk Accessory, graphics programs, and
a text editor. Further, these sample programs are divided into 'the dialog
program', 'the menu program', 'the speech program', etc. Yes, I did say
speech program. Also included is the latest version of MacInTalk, Apples
routines for speech systhesis, and the sample program that uses it.
TML compiles to assembly code. It also has a "compile to Desk Accessory"
option that makes it easier to create desk accessories w/it than any other
development system I've sued.
Ok, enough praise. There were a few things I'd like to see changed.
The desk accessory example doesn't show examples of how to support
cut/copy/paste.
I'd like to see that in the example (to me, that's the second hardest part of
writing a desk accessory). Another thing I'd like to see (if only because it
should be a pretty easy extension) is an option that compiles MacPascal (Apple's
interpreted Pascal product) automatically from the MacPascal document, and
brings up a window for the output to go into, etc. MacPascal doesn't quite
follow Inside Macintosh for all of their "rom" calls, but the patches shouldn't
be too hard, and this option would be real nice to have. I have ported over
several programs from MacPascal, and while it didn't take much time at all,
having it done for me would be a nice addition.
But, the the thing I found this product lacking, was an EXEC program, as done
in the Consulair C package, that would allow me to automatically compile,
assemble (if I wanted to), link, and run the program, with only one click of
my mouse (after I've corrected the last round of errors). I have been promised
this in the next release of TML Pascal though, and I believe that their upgrade
policy won't cost much (if anything).
So, to summarize. For $99 you get most everything that you get
in Apple's MDS assembly language package (save documentation, available from
Osborne/McGraw Hill), plus lots of examples and the compiler. The system is
robust (in version 0.9), and easy to use. Knowledge of Pascal, and some
basic familiarity with the Mac is necessary, including a copy of Inside
Macintosh,
though if they incorporate a "from MacPascal" option, this latter requirement
won't be one.
It's pretty fast compiling (no, no benchmarks), and in about 5 to 7 min (I
didn't have a stopwatch), I was told that my 3,000 line program had only 14
errors (my first try, and they were typos); and please note, this figure doesn't
include the many lines in the include files (I included mostof them). In other
words, it's pretty fast.
What I found lacking were mostly things that would be nice to have, but not
necessary, and of those, I was told that some (if not all) would be
forthcomming.
Now there is finally a Pascal development system out for the Mac, and it's qute
inexpensive and robust. Your wait is over--go forth and develop!
--- --- /~^~\ /^^
|| || --- Peter Korn |* *|----------\
/- ----- -/ = \ korn@Berkeley.LotsONets | | | |
| | | | !ucbvax!korn ( = )_ ____ _/
\___________|\ /| \_/ || ||
^^/ \___/ --- ---
None of the above opinions/ideas/expressions/mannerisms/etc. are those of
whoever I might supposedly be representing (except possibly myself, of course,
and even then there's some room for doubt).
Specifically, I have no affiliation with TML, and while the store that I work
at will be selling them, I'm sure that you'll be able to purchase it from
any number of other places; and I'm not even going to tell you where our store
is located, so there!johnm@well.UUCP (john markoff) (12/04/85)
I guess this should have a higher status than a rumor. I spoke with Phillipe Kahn of Borland International today and he said that Borland's native Pascal compiler for the Mac will be Beta Testing in about two months. He claimed a compile speed of 20,000 lines a minute (I asked him twice...).
waddingt@umn-cs.UUCP (Jake Waddington ) (03/06/86)
. TML is advertising some new products. A short reveiw of the new "linker/librarian" and "Mini Editor" by someone who has seen them would be very helpful for those like me who are interested in improving the proformance of their TML Pascal. P.S. I haven't gotten an upgrade notice from TML. Should I have? Thank-You Paul Fink inhp4!umn-cs!waddingt
ksc@uclachem.UUCP (Kim Cary) (03/07/86)
I am soliciting the opinions of those on the net regarding the TML pascal package. I have heard positive (mostly) and negative (some) some. Would you share your experiences with me? I will post a *complete* summary. I am not a pascal programmer, but a marketer of this package and would like to be able to discuss it with a greater degree of intelligence. Thanks, Kim Cary !ucbvax!ucla-cs!uclachem!ksc