[comp.sources.wanted] 'C' kompiler for TMX

steinar@fdmetd.uucp (Steinar Overbeck Cook) (04/20/89)

We are looking for an ANSI 'C' compiler for NCR TMX (Versados). I've
been told that Whitesmiths Ltd. has one of these beasts, but Whitesmiths
Ltd. in Sweden seems to have gone out of bussiness.

Does anyone know if Whitesmiths has other offices in Europe ?


-- 
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<The opinions expressed, if any, do not represent Fellesdata a.s>

todd@stiatl.UUCP (Todd Merriman) (05/06/89)

In article <375@fdmetd.uucp> steinar@fdmetd.uucp (Steinar Overbeck Cook) writes:
>We are looking for an ANSI 'C' compiler for NCR TMX (Versados). I've
>been told that Whitesmiths Ltd. has one of these beasts, but Whitesmiths
>Ltd. in Sweden seems to have gone out of bussiness.
>
You will be *very* sorry if you buy a Whitesmith's C compiler.  I have
never used one that was worse, on any architecture.  If that is the only
C compiler available for Versados, then you would be better off with some
other hardware.

   ...!gatech!stiatl!todd
   Todd Merriman * 404-377-TOFU * Atlanta, GA

mem@zinn.MV.COM (Mark E. Mallett) (05/10/89)

In article <4554@stiatl.UUCP> todd@stiatl.UUCP (Todd Merriman) writes:
>In article <375@fdmetd.uucp> steinar@fdmetd.uucp (Steinar Overbeck Cook) writes:
>>We are looking for an ANSI 'C' compiler for NCR TMX (Versados). I've
>>been told that Whitesmiths Ltd. has one of these beasts, but Whitesmiths
>>Ltd. in Sweden seems to have gone out of bussiness.
>>
>You will be *very* sorry if you buy a Whitesmith's C compiler.  I have
>never used one that was worse, on any architecture.  If that is the only
>C compiler available for Versados, then you would be better off with some
>other hardware.

I have a hard time letting that stand, although I can't positively
contradict it.  I used Whitesmith's on VersaDOS about 6 years ago,
and although I did not think very highly of it, I had the same
thoughts about most other vendor's C compilers that were available.
Whitesmith's missed some obvious optimizations, and it had a non-standard
runtime library, supposedly out of fear of TPC lawyers.  (My understanding
is that the library is now standard.)

At any rate, regardless of the quality of the generated code, the code
worked, and our project had a lot of it.  Since then, I've had a
chance to see the competing compilers get a lot better, but I've never
had a chance to go back and use Whitesmith's again.  Without specific
evidence to the contrary (there was none in the referenced reply) I'd
give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that they've kept up
with the pack.

-mm-
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