mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Michael R. DeCorte) (02/28/88)
Hello, I am in need of some pd languages for a comomdore 64. I have a few requirements 1) must have something like a procedure 2) must have local variables 3) must not be buggy 4) intereactive 5) recursion I am not to picky about what the language is as long as it fits the above requirements. If there is a *good* version of C (that is free or not to expensive) that will also be good as I can use it to port some languages that I have. Please mail to me directly. Thanks -- Michael DeCorte // mrd@clutx.clarkson.edu // mrd@clutx.bitnet (315)268-3704 // P.O. Box 652, Potsdam, NY 13676
relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) (03/02/88)
In article <463@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Michael R. DeCorte) writes: > >Hello, I am in need of some pd languages for a comomdore 64. I have a >few requirements > >1) must have something like a procedure >2) must have local variables >3) must not be buggy >4) intereactive >5) recursion A while back I heard of a language called comal. It had pascal-like procedures, and the ability to do recursion, (I think since it had call-by-name procedures), perhaps someone knows if its still available. There was a society which was responsible for distribuiting it. Good Luck Rob Elkins -- ARPA:
bowen@sunybcs.uucp (Devon E Bowen) (03/03/88)
In article <751@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) writes: > >A while back I heard of a language called comal. It had pascal-like procedures, >and the ability to do recursion,(I think since it had call-by-name procedures), >perhaps someone knows if its still available. There was a society which was >responsible for distribuiting it. I've got an old copy of it. I played with it for an afternoon and it seemed to be an easy to work with language. Sort of a combination of BASIC, Pascal and logo (it's uses turtle graphics). The only problem with it is that the language itself takes up 85% of the memory! Now, my copy is old. Maybe things have changed a bit. I can boot it up and post the address of the group that distributes it in the US if anyone would like it. Devon Bowen (KA2NRC) University at Buffalo ********************************************************* uucp: ..!{ames,boulder,decvax,rutgers}!sunybcs!bowen Internet: bowen@cs.Buffalo.EDU BITNET: bowen@sunybcs.BITNET *********************************************************
dave@zehntel.zehntel.com (Dave Funk) (03/04/88)
In article <751@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) writes: >In article <463@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Michael R. DeCorte) writes: >> >>Hello, I am in need of some pd languages for a comomdore 64. I have a >>few requirements >> >>1) must have something like a procedure >>2) must have local variables >>3) must not be buggy >>4) intereactive >>5) recursion > >A while back I heard of a language called comal. It had pascal-like procedures, >and the ability to do recursion, (I think since it had call-by-name procedures), >perhaps someone knows if its still available. There was a society which was >responsible for distribuiting it. > >Good Luck > >Rob Elkins >-- >ARPA: relkins@vax1.acs.udel.edu >BITNET: FFO04688 AT UDACSVM > >Live Long and Prosper! COMAL is a very good, non buggy language. It comes in two forms; diskette or cartridge. The diskette version is a little more simplistic, but still quite powerful. It has all the features requested above and a *lot* more. Rather than attempting to recite all of it's features, you can call or write to the exclusive distributor for COMAL: COMAL User's Group 6041 Monona Drive Madison, WI 53716 (608) 222-4432 The head honcho there is Len Lindsay. He literally wrote the book for the COMAL language (one of the best written books I have seen for the C64/C128). They support COMAL via newsletters, disk subscriptions, and are on most of the major nets (QLink, CompuServe, etc). I would strongly encourage you (or anyone) to take a look at COMAL. I have no connection whatever with COMAL, except that I am a very satisfied user. Dave Funk ....!ucbvax!zehntel!dave Zehntel, Inc. ....!decvax!sytek!zehntel!dave 2625 Shadelands Drive ...."zehntel!dave"@BERKELEY Walnut Creek, CA 94598 (415) 932-6900 x309
lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Christopher Lishka) (03/04/88)
Although this is off the top of my head, I believe the Comal
group is working on a version for the Amiga. The U.S. group was (and
probably still is) based here in Madison, WI. I am not sure about any
other info.
My personal experience with Comal is pretty minimal, although I
tried writing some code in it way back when. It seems to be a cross
between Pascal and BASIC, and was interesting in that it would
*reformat* lines written in C64 BASIC into Comal as you typed. Pretty
interesting.
If you are looking for a PD language, you might want to look into
Comal some more. Sorry I can't be of any more help.
-Chris
--
Chris Lishka /lishka@uwslh.uucp
Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene <-lishka%uwslh.uucp@rsch.wisc.edu
"What, me, serious? Get real!" \{seismo, harvard,topaz,...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishkaanderson@c10sd3.Comten.NCR.COM (Joel Anderson) (03/04/88)
In article <8973@sunybcs.UUCP> bowen@joey.UUCP (Devon E Bowen) writes: >In article <751@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) writes: >> >>A while back I heard of a language called comal. It had pascal-like procedures, >>and the ability to do recursion,(I think since it had call-by-name procedures), >>perhaps someone knows if its still available. There was a society which was >>responsible for distribuiting it. > >I've got an old copy of it. I played with it for an afternoon and it seemed >to be an easy to work with language. Sort of a combination of BASIC, Pascal >and logo (it's uses turtle graphics). The only problem with it is that the >language itself takes up 85% of the memory! Now, my copy is old. Maybe things >have changed a bit. I can boot it up and post the address of the group that >distributes it in the US if anyone would like it. > > Devon Bowen (KA2NRC) > University at Buffalo Actually the language you have is almost certainly PD -and almost certainly out of date. Currently 0.14 (the PD version) is replaced by the "power driver" which adds numerous commands, expands the amount of free memory to 15K and (for money, not PD) offers a compiler to create standalone COMAL programs that do not require the language package (much more run-time memory) no speed advantage though. Comal offers recursion, variable scoping, any length fully recognized variable names, listing that automatically indents the structure. Information is available online on Qlink, as is the Power Driver version of COMAL. There is also a cartridge based version 2.xx available which offers much more. It is used in Europe for education, outperforms BASIC in many ways (speed, structure, ease of use) and is implemented on IBM PCs, VAXs, and in progress on Mac and Apple.
bjc@pollux.UUCP (Betty J. Clay) (03/07/88)
In article <751@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) writes: >In article <463@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Michael R. DeCorte) writes: >> >>Hello, I am in need of some pd languages for a comomdore 64. I have a >>few requirements (some omitted here) > >A while back I heard of a language called comal. It had pascal-like procedures, >and the ability to do recursion, (I think since it had call-by-name procedures), >perhaps someone knows if its still available. There was a society which was >responsible for distribuiting it. The address of the Comal Users' Group is: Comal Today 6041 Monona Drive Madison, WI 53716 COMAL is available on disk as a freely distributable program. There is a more complete form available in cartridge form, but this must be purchased. I don't know the current price. COMAL is a very nice language. I think you'd like it. Betty Clay ...killer!pollux!bjc :wq > >Good Luck > >Rob Elkins >-- >ARPA: relkins@vax1.acs.udel.edu >BITNET: FFO04688 AT UDACSVM > >Live Long and Prosper!
jbh@mibte.UUCP (James Harvey) (03/08/88)
In article <8973@sunybcs.UUCP>, bowen@sunybcs.UUCP writes: > In article <751@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> relkins@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Rob Elkins) writes: > > > >A while back I heard of a language called comal. It had pascal-like procedures, > >and the ability to do recursion,(I think since it had call-by-name procedures), > >perhaps someone knows if its still available. There was a society which was > >responsible for distribuiting it. > > I've got an old copy of it. I played with it for an afternoon and it seemed > to be an easy to work with language. Sort of a combination of BASIC, Pascal > and logo (it's uses turtle graphics). The only problem with it is that the > language itself takes up 85% of the memory! Now, my copy is old. Maybe things > have changed a bit. I can boot it up and post the address of the group that > distributes it in the US if anyone would like it. > > Devon Bowen (KA2NRC) > University at Buffalo > There is a fellow in Wisconsin I think, Len Lindsay who is the COMAL Guru in the US. He has written much on the language and there is a COMAL users group. Unfortunately, I don't have any addresses here but if you check around at your local Commodore users group you are sure to find COMAL people. The language originated in Denmark and is now available on a bank switching cartridge for something like nintey bucks (includes Lindsays book). This leaves most of the 64's memory open for programs. -- Jim Harvey | "Ask not for whom the bell Michigan Bell Telephone | tolls and you will only pay 29777 Telegraph | Station-to-Station rates." Southfield, Mich. 48034 | ihnp4!mibte!jbh or try ulysses!gamma!mibte!jbh
rupp@cod.NOSC.MIL (William L. Rupp) (03/17/88)
A couple or three years ago I was quite enthusiastic about Comal. I bought several very good books on the language and tried wrote a couple of programs. For a variety of reasons, having mostly to do with my involvement with several computer systems both at work and at home, I sort of never got around to doing much with Comal. However, if anyone has any specific questions about the language itself, especially related to the Commodore-64, I will try to answer them. Just send me email (rupp@nosc.mil). To repeat, my books relate mostly, though not entirely, to the C64. One of them is a book on C64 Comal graphics, for instance. The big problem that I saw was that the full implementation of the language came in the form of a cartridge. That does absolutely no good if your goal is to create software, commercial or p.d., for others too use. What is needed is a Comal compiler, or at least a run-time module. Incidentally, I understand that Comal, which was invented in Denmark(?), is used in several European countries as an educational language, somewhat in the same role that Pascal plays here. It is much better than BASIC, but not so daunting as C or Pascal. Anyway, if someone were to come out with a Comal *compiler* for any of the micros I regularly use, I would definitely buy it. Bill
anderson@c10sd3.Comten.NCR.COM (Joel Anderson) (03/18/88)
Check out the COMAL section on Quantum link - there is now a version of Comal 0.14 called "PowerDriver" which includes many of the features of Comal 2.x (the cartridge version). The interpreter is available on QLink, and for a few bucks you can buy a compiler that will generate a complete run-time BASIC Load and Runnable version of your COMAL program - Also, the workspace with "PowerDriver" is 15K (bigger than the original 0.14's 10K) AND the compiled versions have 30+K workspace. ---------------------------------- Joel Peter Anderson NCR Comten Software engineer Computer Chaplain (612)-638-7692 voice ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- How do I know what my company's opinions are? ----------------------------------