LASER@kuhub.ukans.edu.UUCP (01/31/87)
Hello, I have a PC/AT clone machine running MS-DOS, and I am looking for a good compiler/debugger/toolbox product I could purchase in order to replace Pascal for Modula-2. I have heard rumors about a Turbo Modula-2 package, but I haven't seen it advertised anywhere. I have also read about a system sold by Logitech which is supposed to contain what I am looking for EXCEPT toolbox utilities. If anyone has had experience with these kinds of products, I would appreciate some advice as to what the best buy could be. Thank you. Enrique Espinosa University of Kansas
Dickson@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA.UUCP (02/02/87)
Sorry to say, Turbo Modula-2 is only available for CP/M-80 machines.
That's why Borland isn't selling. Turbo Modula-2 is being sold by
Echelon, Inc.
It might be best if you got the FTL Modula-2 compiler (from Workman &
Associates). It's fast, and it only costs $49.95.
Paul Dickson
Dickson%pco @ BCO-Multics.ARPAmwilson@crash.UUCP (02/04/87)
In article <870202200126.266447@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA> Dickson@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA (Paul Dickson) writes: >It might be best if you got the FTL Modula-2 compiler (from Workman & >Associates). It's fast, and it only costs $49.95. > Question: How close does FTL follow the Modula-2 standard? Can it handle generic source? Or are there tradeoffs involved? How fast/large is the resultant object code? I was not impressed with the code that Turbo produced ( relatively slow ). Does FTL produce m-code, or true machine code? -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marc Wilson ARPA: ...!crash!mwilson@nosc ( preferred ) ...!crash!pnet01!pro-sol!mwilson@nosc UUCP: [ akgua | hp-sdd!hplabs | sdcsvax | nosc ]!crash!mwilson mwilson@crash.CTS.COM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dickson@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA.UUCP (02/06/87)
> Question: How close does FTL follow the Modula-2 standard? Can it >handle generic source? Or are there tradeoffs involved? > > How fast/large is the resultant object code? I was not impressed with >the code that Turbo produced ( relatively slow ). > > Does FTL produce m-code, or true machine code? The FTL Modula-2 compiler is supposed to follow the third edition of Wirth's book. The object code is limited to the 8086 small model (from this fact, I assume it generated 8086 machine code, but since I haven't purchased the compiler yet, I can't really say for sure). See Jerry Pournelle's column in this month's issue of Byte (February '87). Also see the current issue of Micro Cornucopia (Feb-Mar), there is another comparison type article in it. Unfortunately, both of those issues are at home right now.
Dickson@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA.UUCP (02/07/87)
I dug up the current issue of Micro C for the following review about the FTL
Modula-2 compiler. I'm posting review of FTL here. Please note, the article
does some benchmark comparisons: "integer math, floating point math, file
I/O, and text processing. For all but the integer math, Logitech's code has
been consistently faster." My comments in the article are delimited by [].
Micro Cornucopia
Box 223
Bend, OR 97709-0223
(502)382-5060
$16.00 a year for a subscription. Back issues $3.00 each.
---------------
From Micro Cornucopia, #34, February-March 1987; "The Tale of Two Modulas"
by John P. Jones. Copied without permission.
FTL Modula-2 is largely the work of Dave Moore of Cerenkof Computing,
Brisbane, Australia, and is available in this country from Workman &
Associates. It is available for both CP/M-80 and MS-DOS. the FTL base system
includes a source code editor, compiler, linker, assembler, and library and
utility modules. The systen conforms to the language definition in the third
edition of Wirth's book, so is more current than Logitech's system. FTL
Modula-2 uses a small memory model: you are limited to 64K code and 64K
data. (There is a library module, LongHeap, which allows use of the
remainder of RAM for indirect data storage.)
The editor (which uses WordStar commands) supports windows, but is not
syntax assisted. Compiles and links can be done either from within the
editor, or from the command line.
One unique feature - when compiling from the editor, the compiler and
imported symbols are kept in memory and do nothave to be reloadedfrom disk
for subsequent compiles.
The one-pass compiler is fast the first time, darned fast on subsequent
times. Keyboard macros can be defined on the fly, while editing. Plus, you
can examine the disk directory from the editor: more than once I've had to
exit Logitech's editor becuase I'd forgotten a filename.
Although you have the option of continuing a compile after an error,
I've found that it's usually best to fix the errors as encountered. Because
it's a one-pass compiler, it can get very confused after an error. My
500-line module (tested earlier with Modula-2/86) compiled in 8.6 seconds.
[Modula-2/86 took 1 min. 15 sec.]
The linker links directly to a .COM file, no additional conversion is
needed. The test file linked in 22 seconds. The .COM files are
consistently about 1/3 the size of Modula-2/86's .EXE files
The standard libraries with FTL Modula-2 were taken from the CP/M-80
version, which in turn were taken from Modula-2 for thr PDP-11. In many
cases, they include both CP/M equivalent and improved MS-DOS modules. The
CP/M style modules give you quick migration route between the two operating
systems. I've found the library source modules very instructive.
It's especially easy to incorporate assembly langauge modules. The
definition module is written in Modula-2, the implementation module in
assembler. The linker takes care of the rest.
FTL Utilities
Precedence generates a list of interdependencies. This list is used by
Buildsub to create a batch file for recompiling modules affected by a
definition module change.
Also included: a simple run-time debugger, a sort module, text and
binary file comparison modules, and a source file lister.
[The source for the editor is available for an additional $30.]gig@ritcv.UUCP (02/25/87)
I don't regularly read this newgroup so excuse me if this question has been asked recently. Could someone tell me if there is a good modula-2 compiler for the Macintosh? Thanks. (Actually, it might be as helpful to know about bad ones as well.)