mm@cbnews.ATT.COM (martin.h.meyers) (03/25/89)
I have just gotten a 6386 WGS pc up and running with a 387 co-processor. I would like to port my computation intensive work from large VMS machines to my desktop so I'm looking for a Fortran compiler for the 386. I'd appreciate comments regarding choices (e.g. Lahey, Microway, Weitek boards) as well as any suggestions on running large programs on a pc (e.g. are some virtual memory managers better than others? how about debugging capabilites?) Marty
mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu (03/25/89)
>I have just gotten a 6386 WGS pc up and running with a 387 co-processor. >I would like to port my computation intensive work from large VMS machines >to my desktop so I'm looking for a Fortran compiler for the 386. >I'd appreciate comments regarding choices (e.g. Lahey, Microway, Weitek boards) >as well as any suggestions on running large programs on a pc (e.g. are some >virtual memory managers better than others? how about debugging capabilites?) I can't comment on comparisons as I have only used one, from MicroWay. First, it is very expensive - about $500 to them and $500 to Phar Lap so you can run it. And - if you want to distribute the results to others it will cost money, unlike any other compiler I have heard about. That is money to Phar Lap. Either you users will have to pay $500 to Phar Lap (per user) or you will have to pay Phar Lap $1500 for a 75K program. Ouch!!! I have made a lovely program with it, but posting it on the net would be rather silly since user would have to pay $500 to use it!! Phar Lap is being unreasonable. However, the MicroWay compiler works fine. (Please note- if this is cross posted somewhere, I am referring to FORTRAN.) It generates quite reasonable code. Not quite as good as VMS Fortran - but close. It is easy to use. And it provides, with it, routines to do bios calls and very primitive graphics. It also hooks up well to their C compiler (which is OK but, to date, is a very primitive non-ANSI C.) Debugger? What debugger? Oh yes there is one, but it can't hold a candle to Codeview of Turbo debugger. Shades of my old PDP-8! An unreleased version of the linker from Phar Lap has totally fixed the slow linking problem. Out soon. (version 2.2 on my disks). Oh yes - certain computers - but not all - have problems if your 386 is earlier than DX step (says DX on the 386 case) if you use a 387 (not if you use a Weitek). This applies not only to MicroWAy Fortran, but their C and also to any program using 386 and 387 in protected mode (386 mode or virtual 86 mode) with paging. This includes ordinary PC programs using the 387 when run in a window under Microsoft Windows. Doug McDonald