jordan@aerospace.aero.org (Larry M. Jordan) (10/05/90)
I like the new JPI product. I think the multi-language system is the right way to go. I look forward to other languages (Pascal and Ada) that can leverage off the same backend. The pragma system is incredibly powerfull, though its use could be better documented for the standard edition. I find the simple semantics of their object extension a breath of fresh air compared to C++'s. There are other extensions I wish were part of the standard (aggregates, procedures returning structured values, procedures can return designators--i.e. P()^ or P().field--, aliases or renaming declarations--i.e. CONST Put ::= IO.WrStr;-- to name a few) which JPI has been thoughtfull enough to incorporate. As for bugs...the system is maturing. I discovered one in r1.04--a library bug (Graph.GetImage/Graph.PutImage in VGA mode 640x480x16colors). I have not found the product nearly as bad as many have portrayed it to be. I have completed two substantial developments with v2.0--one with approx. 20 modules whose executable is 140K, the other heavily exercises the object extension and graphics and whose executable is 45K. (This second developement was a reworking of some C++ GUI classes developed with Zortech.) I commend JPI on their excellent product and the thoughtful and timely support I've received. So, if anyone out there is debating which Modula-2 system to buy, I highly recommend JPI v2.0. (If Stoneybrook wants to give me a copy of their product to evaluate, I'll do it. However, I'm far from "throwing in the towel" and possibly wrestling with a new set of problems.) This is a biased opinion. Larry Jordan