paul@imsvax.UUCP (Paul Knight) (05/30/87)
From my buddy Ted Holden:
Several observations on Borland's Turbo C. Number one, it's nearly as
fast as Turbo Pascal, a ton faster than any other C compiler I've ever
dealt with in the mini/micro/super-mini world. Number two, it passes
all of the really hard tests I know of, including several of my
2000-3000 line Navy Document Interchange conversion routines, which are
big and hairy but basically straight-forward C programs, as well as
things such as the UNIX CB routine written by drug-crazed hippies in
Berkeley e.g. things such as:
char *wif[] = {
"if",0};
char *welse[] = {
"else",0};
char *wfor[] = {
"for",0};
char *wds[] = {
"case","default",0};
and
if(lookup(wif) == 1){
which have destroyed every DOS C compiler I've tried them on other than
the Lattice and Microsoft compilers. Turbo C can handle it also.
The user interface to Turbo C is awesome. The system comes with two
compilers, a standard command-line version and an integrated version
which looks like an ultimate evolution of that of Turbo Pascal, editor,
compiler, linker, file-handler etc. all being part of one elegant
package with things such as compiler options, memory models etc. being
menu options. Debugging is an improvement of that of Turbo Pascal's. A
make routine and a linker claimed 5-10 times faster than MicroSoft's
also come with the system. The claim doesn't appear bogus to me.
Extra-C features go all the way; this system gives you damned near
all the power there could possibly be on today's XT and AT class
machines. They have incorporated a tremendous improvement in the Turbo
Pascal Inline capability, things such as:
#include <stdio.h>
int i,j,k,l;
float a,b,c,d;
main()
{
i = 5;
j = 3;
l = min(i,j);
printf("min = %d\n",l);
}
int min(int v1, int v2)
{
asm mov ax,v1
asm cmp ax,v2
asm jle minexit
asm mov ax,v2
minexit:
return(_AX);
}
being compiled with the command-line version of the compiler which
actually invokes MASM which, being the only MicroSoft product sold for
anything like Borland prices, Borland assumes you have a copy of. Good
assumption in my case at least. The whole thing works beautifully.
This seems to be the only consolation in any of this for MicroSoft;
Kahn, though he probably has blown MicroSoft right out of the high level
compiler business, will probably sell ten times as many copies of MASM
for them as they have ever managed to sell for themselves.
The $65 price tag (Daltons e.g.) will lead some to believe Turbo C
to be another cheapie toy compiler or something. Nothing could be
further from right. The system comes with 4 diskettes, two large
manuals, and more in the way of development tools than anyone else has
been selling for $500 for the last two years. I don't believe anything
I've seen up til now at any price compares with it.
Ted Holden
HT Enterprises
--
Paul Knight
Disclaimer: Invaders from another sphere may be using my account.
Look for multiple signatures before you flame. Thanks.