Arnold@DOCKMASTER.ARPA (09/11/87)
Tony
You said that you want to use Pascal to write an assembler for a course.
From my experience of writing several assemblers and giving/grding numerous
student projects over the years, let me give you a little bit of advice.
1. KISS
2. The real problem in doing an assembler is getting good data structures
and parsing the input.
3. Pretty I/O might move a B to B+, but it will not move a C to an A and
incomplete attempts can sure cause Cs real fast.
Any compiler that deserves to be called a Pascal compiler will have the
necessary data structure constructs. The debugging help and particularly the
compiler diagnostics should strongly color your choice of a compiler for
your project. I have been using the Apple Pascal system for a number of years
at home and have found that it serves my needs in the creation of parser
gemerators and such assembler like tools. The "weak" I/O capabilities of
this and similar Pascal systems are more than outweighed by good support
where I need it (eg string handling and compiler error messages). Remember
that when you are up to your ass in aligators that the job you came for
was to drain the swamp.
Terry Arnold
Arnold@Dockmaster.arpa
ps. I would have sent this direct except that you did not sign your message with an address. Please do so in the future it helps all of us. ta