wheeler@symcom.math.uiuc.EDU (11/06/87)
I'm a new Mac II owner and I'm looking for advice/information on which
C compiler to buy.
I, of course, want access to the color routines and hopefully the
documentation of the compiler will give information on how to use
them.
Secondly, I saw some floating point benchmarks in a recent Byte article.
One C compiler used the 68881 directly and was remarkably faster than
another compiler which went through SANE. I can imagine situations
where speed is more important than the accuracy provided by the IEEE
standard. Whereas other situations would absolutely require IEEE
standard routines. What I'm trying to say is that I would like a C
compiler that supported some sort of compiler option which would allow
you to compile using SANE or by going to the 68881 directly. Something
similar to the FLOAT_OPTION environment variable on the Sun.
Lastly, do compilers for the Mac have something equivalent to "make"?
What books are available and required for getting the most out of the
Mac in terms of the user interface?
I almost forgot. The compiler should be installable on my hard disk.
Thanks for any comments or suggestions. If possible please include
prices.
Ferrell Wheeler
University of Illinois
Department of Mathematics
wheeler@symcom.math.uiuc.edu
kwallich@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (Ken Wallich) (11/10/87)
/ hpsmtc1:comp.sys.mac / wheeler@symcom.math.uiuc.EDU / 9:43 am Nov 6, 1987 / >I'm a new Mac II owner and I'm looking for advice/information on which >C compiler to buy. Congrats. My current recommendation has to be the popular LightSpeed C. It has access to the new ROM routines in the II, however there is no documentation (except the include files). This is due to the fact that Apple hadn't finalized the specs (have they done it yet?), and the LightSpeed folks wanted to get us a working compiler. It doesn't use the 68881 directly, but with a little (ok, mabey more than a little) work, you could create a #include library that did. It has something very akin to 'make', but easier to use. The compiler runs like a champ on a hard disc, as a matter a fact it runs like a champ all the time. Compile-link times are incredibly fast, and the resulting code runs as fast as the "other" compilers I have used. As far as books to get: You must get the Inside Macintosh set. They aren't exactly bedtime reading, but a necessary reference set. I also was somewhat pleased with the "Macintosh Revealed" set, which, if nothing else, has a good index for finding functions. As far as prices, LSC retails for $175 (in the last ad I saw). Pick up the latest issue of MacWorld, MacUser, etc, and you can find places to buy it (*mabey* at less than retail!). Inside Macintosh, and Macintosh Revealed can be gotten at some bookstores, you can probably find a place to get them mail order from one of the MacRags. Happy Macing! Disclamer: I have no relationship with Think Technologies, MacWorld, MacUser, Apple, the publishers of Inside Macintosh, or anyone else of consequence, other than being a slightly fanatical Mac user. -------------------- Ken Wallich *My views are mine, and mine alone* Consultant "Camelot! Camelot! -- It's only a model" DCI kwallich@hpsmtc1.HP.COM @Hewlett Packard ...hplabs!hpsmtc1!kwallich "Slimey? Mud Hole? my HOME this is!" ----------
jordan@apple.UUCP (Jordan Mattson) (11/10/87)
The features you desire (Color Quick Draw access, access to SANE, direct access to the 68881, and a make facility) are available in the MPW C product, which requires the MPW Shell to be used. Both products are available from the Apple Programmers and Developers Association (APDA). APDA can be contacted about membership at the following address: APDA 290 SW 43rd Street Renton, WA 98055 206-251-6548 -- Jordan Mattson UUCP: ucbvax!mtxinu!apple!jordan Apple Computer, Inc. CSNET: jordan@apple.CSNET Tools & Languages Product Management 20525 Mariani Avenue, MS 27S Cupertino, CA 95014 408-973-4601 "Joy is the serious business of heaven." C.S. Lewis
drc@dbase.UUCP (11/12/87)
You should also look at MacTutor-an excellent magazine concerned solely with programming the Mac. No fluff at all. So far as C compilers go, I agree that LSC is an excellent choice (I use it on occasion and most of my friends use it), but I like the MPW environment and can tell you from experience that on a Mac II, the difference in turnaround time is not noticeable. MPW does generate smaller (often markedly), faster (slightly) code than does LSC. Dennis Cohen Ashton-Tate Glendale Development Center dBASE Mac Development Team -------------------------- Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are mine, leave A-T out of the discussion.
schmidt@lsrhs.UUCP (11/17/87)
In article <260@dbase.UUCP> drc@dbase.UUCP (Dennis Cohen) writes: > >You should also look at MacTutor-an excellent magazine concerned solely with >programming the Mac. No fluff at all. I haven't been able to find MacTutor anywhere, and in Boston, that's just bizarre (okay, so I haven't gone to the Boston Public Library ...). Can someone post the address and subscription price? -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chris Schmidt/Lincoln-Sudbury High School/390 Lincoln Rd/Sudbury/Ma/01776 (617) 926-3242 -----> mit-caf!lsrhs!schmidt@eddie.mit.edu (And for you, Mr. NSA Line-Eater: drugs, terrorists, Libya, 1984)
tedj@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Ted Johnson) (11/20/87)
>I haven't been able to find MacTutor anywhere, and in Boston, that's just >bizarre (okay, so I haven't gone to the Boston Public Library ...). Can >someone post the address and subscription price? I wouldn't be too confident of finding *anything* in the Boston Public Library! That place is a mess! Here's your info: MacTutor P.O. Box 400 Placentia, CA 92670 3rd class subscription: $45.00 1st class subscription: $30.00 source code disk subscription: $72.00 Unlike just about every other magazine on the face of the planet, MacTutor is usually 2 to 3 weeks LATE (e.g., their Nov. issue came out on Nov. 18), but it's worth waiting for. -Ted P.S. If you're just getting started programming the Mac and are looking for LightSpeed C source code examples, you might find it highly advantageous to order a dozen or so of the back issues. (I did, and they helped me A LOT!) -Ted
raylau@dasys1.UUCP (Raymond Lau) (11/27/87)
In article 6448 tedj@hpcilzb.HP.COM writes >Unlike just about every other magazine on the face of the planet, >MacTutor is usually 2 to 3 weeks LATE (e.g., their Nov. issue came out >on Nov. 18), but it's worth waiting for. I agree, it is worth the wait, but what makes me mad is that I see the next issue out in the bookstores a wk to 2 before it comes in the mail. -- Raymond Lau {allegra,philabs,cmcl2}!phri\ Big Electric Cat Public Unix {bellcore,cmcl2}!cucard!dasys1!raylau New York, NY, USA {sun}!hoptoad/ GEnie:RayLau Delphi:RaymondLau CIS:76174,2617 "Take it and StuffIt."
clubmac@runx.ips.oz (Macintosh Users Group) (11/30/87)
In article <2083@dasys1.UUCP> raylau@dasys1.UUCP (Raymond Lau) writes: >In article 6448 tedj@hpcilzb.HP.COM writes >>Unlike just about every other magazine on the face of the planet, >>MacTutor is usually 2 to 3 weeks LATE (e.g., their Nov. issue came out >>on Nov. 18), but it's worth waiting for. > >I agree, it is worth the wait, but what makes me mad is that I see the next >issue out in the bookstores a wk to 2 before it comes in the mail. > Is it true that MacTutor is printed/shipped in/from Amsterdam?
tedj@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Ted Johnson) (12/03/87)
/ hpcilzb:comp.sys.mac / clubmac@runx.ips.oz (Macintosh Users Group) / 10:04 pm Nov 29, 1987 /
>Is it true that MacTutor is printed/shipped in/from Amsterdam?
Yow! Someone has been feeding you a line. Granted, it does not SAY
anywhere where MacTutor is printed, but I would be extremely
surprised if they went half the way around the globe to
get their magazine printed.
-Ted
----------darryl@ism780c.UUCP (Darryl Richman) (12/08/87)
In article <870055@hpcilzb.HP.COM> tedj@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Ted Johnson) writes: >/ hpcilzb:comp.sys.mac / clubmac@runx.ips.oz (Macintosh Users Group) / 10:04 pm Nov 29, 1987 / >>Is it true that MacTutor is printed/shipped in/from Amsterdam? >Yow! Someone has been feeding you a line. Granted, it does not SAY >anywhere where MacTutor is printed, but I would be extremely >surprised if they went half the way around the globe to >get their magazine printed. MacTutor is printed in Placentia, California, which is one of the 75 or so communities in search of a city in the Los Angeles megalopolis area. At least, this is where you send your bucks when you subscribe. (When I began mine over two years ago, the editor, David Smith (I think), was running this out of his computer shop. I don't know if this is still the case.) The only thing that I can surmise that would give someone the idea that MacTutor comes from some far flung foreign land is that the Forth language editor, Jorg something-or-other is writing from someplace in Europe (I think it was Switzerland, but I haven't got an issue in front of me [couldn't you tell that already?] and I don't really care where he's from, just that he keeps up the great work). -- Copyright (C) 1987 Darryl Richman INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation The views expressed above are ...!cca!ima!ism780c!darryl those of the author. ...!sdcrdcf!