GRANT@LAUCOSC.LAURENTIAN.CA ("Grant R. Guenther") (02/03/90)
A recent message on INFO-M2 referred to a UseNet message (which did not appear here): >In article <1990Jan24.061230.17825@chinet.chi.il.us> saj@chinet.chi.il.us (Stephen Jacobs) writes: >>The source of a modula 2 compiler is widely available through DECUS. It's >>written in Modula 2 (of course), and is essentially the ETH compiler. So I attempt to keep track of Modula-2 compiler sources available at low cost. I have never heard of one being in the DECUS library, so I tried to follow this up with DECUS. The DECUS catalogue contains no reference to a Modula-2 compiler. The staff at DECUS Canada in Toronto have never heard of it either. Can anyone substantiate the claim made in the message above. What machine is supposedly supported - or is this the old M-code compiler (which is essentially useless) ? Grant Guenther grant@laucosc.laurentian.ca Mathematics and Computer Science, Laurentian U., Sudbury, Canada
aubrey@RPP386.CACTUS.ORG (Aubrey McIntosh) (02/04/90)
Can you tell me why you think the "old M code compiler" is "essentially useless?" I have a copy of it, and it is dangerously near the top of my list of things to spend time on. Also, would you forward your info regarding the DECUS compiler. Thanks. Aubrey McIntosh comp.os.minix, comp.lang.modula2, soc.culture.celtic Austin, TX 78723 1-(512)-452-1540 (v)
GRANT@LAUCOSC.LAURENTIAN.CA ("Grant R. Guenther") (02/06/90)
Aubrey McIntosh asks: >Can you tell me why you think the "old M code compiler" is "essentially >useless?" I have a copy of it, and it is dangerously near the top of my >list of things to spend time on. Sorry, didn't mean to start a war. The copy I have of the M-code source contains neither an interpreter nor a linker. There was a version available only in binary form (for PCs) with both, but it was terribly slow. Grant Guenther
saj@chinet.chi.il.us (Stephen Jacobs) (02/06/90)
In article <INFO-M2%90020214283484@UCF1VM.BITNET> Modula2 List <INFO-M2%UCF1VM.BITNET@PSUVM.PSU.EDU> writes: >A recent message on INFO-M2 referred to a UseNet message (which did not >appear here): > >>In article <1990Jan24.061230.17825@chinet.chi.il.us> saj@chinet.chi.il.us > (Stephen Jacobs) writes: >>>The source of a modula 2 compiler is widely available through DECUS. It's >>>written in Modula 2 (of course), and is essentially the ETH compiler. So > >I attempt to keep track of Modula-2 compiler sources available at low cost. >I have never heard of one being in the DECUS library, so I tried to >follow this up with DECUS. The DECUS catalogue contains no reference to >a Modula-2 compiler. The staff at DECUS Canada in Toronto have never heard >of it either. Can anyone substantiate the claim made in the message above. >What machine is supposedly supported - or is this the old M-code compiler >(which is essentially useless) ? > >Grant Guenther grant@laucosc.laurentian.ca >Mathematics and Computer Science, Laurentian U., Sudbury, Canada I wanted to come up with a killer reference, but I couldn't find it in the DECUS library either. There's not a whole bunch of documentation about its origin, but here's what I know: This compiler appeared on a swap tape distributed at a DECUS Chicago LUG/ CART meeting about 1984 or 1985. The manual and sources are on the tape. It calls itself 'VAX-11 Modula-2'; the abstract at the front of the manual says "This document describes how to compile, link and execute Modula-2 programs on a VAX-11 under the VMS operating system. The VAX-11 Modula-2 Compiler is based on an implementation of Modula-2 for the PDP-11 developed by a group under the direction of Prof. N. Wirth at the ETH Zuerich." I was never particularly active in DECUS or the local chapter. I wasn't even the person who got the tape. It would be VERY difficult, given the way things work at my job, for me to make a copy of that tape (but possible, if all else fails). Perhaps someone active in Chicago area DECUS can give the providence of this package. Steve J.
aubrey@rpp386.cactus.org (Aubrey McIntosh) (02/07/90)
In article <INFO-M2%90020515052294@UCF1VM.BITNET> Modula2 List <INFO-M2%UCF1VM.BITNET@PSUVM.PSU.EDU> writes: >Aubrey McIntosh asks: > >Sorry, didn't mean to start a war. The copy I have of the M-code source >contains neither an interpreter nor a linker. There was a version available >only in binary form (for PCs) with both, but it was terribly slow. > >Grant Guenther I thought this went as e-mail. Sigh. I have the "c18" source, and the "Provo" interpreter, which I believe to be the two products. I agree that they are slow under the interpreter. I just didn't want to spend much time only to end up in some obscure corner that you had already found out about. I have disassembled (de-compiled) the entire version of Medos-2 supplied with the Provo interpreter, including the linking-loader. I would like to correspond with folks who have licenses to either the C18 compiler or who have the provo interpreter. I presume that I was the last person alive to actually use the interpreter. I have run it through a spiffy disassembler (Sourcer) and compared it with the Modula-2 interpreter given in the c18 license. It is certain that they are close kin. I have a pencil/paper architecture for register use on the 8088 that should substantially increase the speed of the interpreter. There are some neat undocumented additions, such as execute native code procedure, do RS-232 in/out, and others I've forgotten. But then again, I have other M2 compilers now. -- Aubrey McIntosh comp.os.minix, comp.lang.modula2, soc.culture.celtic Austin, TX 78723 1-(512)-452-1540 (v)