LINKR@VTVM1.BITNET (Roger Link) (11/25/87)
I have used both the FTL & Turbo Modula-2 Compilers. The FTL Compiler
appears to be very standard, and includes the source for all of its
libraries. It can produce ROM-able code, and this was the main feature
we wanted it for here. We have a Z-80 SBC running here, with compiled FTL
Modula-2 in ROM. The compiler & linker run at reasonable speeds. The FTL
system also includes a editor that can link to the compiler & linker, and
the Modula-2 source for the editor can be purchased. The editor is
Wordstar like, is pretty nice. It can only edit files that can fit entire
in the RAM editing buffer, unfortunately. The FTL manual leaves quite a
bit to be desired, and does not cover the contents of the libraries at
all. The best manual I found was to print the definitions files for the
Modula libraries. As for assembler support, you have to use there own
assembler, which I have never tried.
As for the Turbo Modula-2 system, it is a more professional system with
the usual Turbo environment. (There are some nice extensions from the
Turbo Pascal Environment) The complier is also pretty fast, and
can produce either Z-80 (or 64180) machine code or a interpreted "M-
code". The Z-80 .COM file appears to be rather bloated, and will normally
be larger than the same code compiled by the FTL. There are also some
extensions such as WRITE & WRITELN which function like Pascal's, but are
very non-standard Modula-2. The system can link to Microsoft .REL files.
I have produced some M-80 assembler code, and had success in linking it
in with the Modula-2 system. This is a very nice feature. The biggest
problem & complaint that I have with the Turbo Modula system is the fact
the libraries seem to be non-standard in some aspects (mainly in I/O
operations). I get the feeling that the writers of the Turbo system
intended the Pascal-style WRITE & WRITELN extensions to be used mainly,
instead of the more normal Modula-2 Write.... procedures. The manual for
the Turbo system is very nice, and has complete library coverage.
Roger Link