[comp.lang.modula2] Summary of accrued info on Modula-3 compilers

pms@vicorp.UUCP (Peter Shirley) (04/04/89)

About two weeks ago, I posted a request to this group for information on a
compiler for the Modula-3 language, developed at the Olivetti Research Center
in conjunction with DEC.  Several folks wrote and asked me to pass on any
infomation I might receive on such compilers; unfortunately, I only got one
note about the existance (or lack thereof) of M3 compilers, from Mike Godfrey
of the University of Toronto.  Hoping that Mike won't mind, I'll quote from his 
letter:

> The chief Modula-3 person (whose name escapes me) gave a talk here two
> weeks ago.  He gave the impression that a compiler will not be forthcoming
> until the summer.  Of course, I may have gotten my dates wrong again.

> Mike Godfrey
> migod@csri.toronto.edu


So it looks like compilers for Modula-3 are a long way off, at least for 
personal computers; if anyone has any information on what machine the Olivetti
Research Center is developing an M3 compiler for, I'd be interested in hearing.
Also of interest is how excited the people who design and market languages are
about the Modula-3 report; is anyone out there planning to write a compiler,
either for fun or for profit?
	Another response that my original posting generated was a request for
more information.  The Modula-3 report is available from: 

	Librarian@orc.Olivetti.COM

Include your physical mail address in your request, and you should have a copy
of the report within three weeks, assuming that they're still sending them out
for free to anyone who asks.

Well, that's about all I know about the availability of information 
on/compilers for Modula-3.  Anyone have anything to add?  Thanks very much to
Mike Godfrey for the word on compilers.

	-Peter
	"To be barefoot is more than a state of shoelessness; 
	 it is a philosophy, a way of life."

gjditchfield@watmsg.waterloo.edu (Glen Ditchfield) (04/04/89)

In article <2231@vicorp.UUCP> pms@vicorp.UUCP (Peter Shirley) writes:
>About two weeks ago, I posted a request to this group for information on a
>compiler for the Modula-3 language, ...  unfortunately, I only got one
>note about the existance (or lack thereof) of M3 compilers, from Mike Godfrey
>of the University of Toronto.
>> The chief Modula-3 person (whose name escapes me) gave a talk here two
>> weeks ago.  He gave the impression that a compiler will not be forthcoming
>> until the summer.  Of course, I may have gotten my dates wrong again.

As I remember the talk, Dr. Donahue said that a Modula-3 to C translator (a
la AT&T C++) would come out around August; that the translator is written in
C and Modula-2+; that it would be available to "sympathetic users", whoever
they are; that a revised Modula-3 Report would follow; and that another
compiler would come out a year after the first.

    Glen Ditchfield  gjditchfield@violet.uwaterloo.ca  Office: DC 2517
Dept. of Computer Science, U of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
	"... and the rest, we will spend foolishly!" -- _Svengali_

mjj@stl.olivetti.com (Mick Jordan) (04/06/89)

I apologise for not replying to the question about Modula-3 compilers in
a timely fashion.  Olivetti Research is building a compiler for Modula-3
and we do hope to distribute it in the second half of this year.  In
a couple of weeks I will post a detailed message about what we expect 
the distribution to contain.  Our present status is that we have an operational
compiler, written in Modula-2+, IDL and C, which generates C, and we are part 
way through the bootstrap of the system into Modula-3 and C. It is worth
pointing out that the language definition is currently being revised in
response to evaluation feedback; a revised report can be expected later
this year and our compiler will implement the revised language.

--Mick Jordan