jim@hcr.uucp (Jim Sullivan) (02/14/90)
Joint 10-Month Collaboration Complete
Robust New C Compiler Test Suite from HCR and ACE Offers
Stress Tests, Conformance to New ANSI C Standard
TORONTO, and Amsterdam, Jan. 16 -- HCR Corporation and ACE
Associated Experts bv of The Netherlands today jointly released
SuperTest, a robust, comprehensive new test suite for C
compilers, providing complete conformance testing against the new
ANSI standard for the C programming language, and for quality and
in-depth stress testing.
SuperTest is a comprehensive test suite designed for
computer manufacturers, software developers, government
organizations and agencies that require C compilers that meet the
ANSI standard. It is the result of a 10-month collaboration
between two companies on different sides of the Atlantic with
proven, in-depth, and well-recognized compiler development
experience.
"Our joint collaboration has resulted in a product designed
to meet worldwide user demand," said Brian Eisenberg, HCR vice
president of sales and marketing. "Our joint development teams
worked closely with the ANSI C working groups, so it reflects the
continuing commitment both companies have made to the ANSI
standards program."
SuperTest verifies the conformance of a C compiler through
over 11,000 carefully constructed conformance tests and stresses
the compiler's capabilities and quality through more than 380,000
depth tests.
SuperTest is available now in North America through
Toronto-based HCR and in Europe through Amsterdam-based ACE. The
site license fee is U.S.$32,000.
"SuperTest is the largest and most complete C test suite
available," said Martijn de Lange, managing director of ACE.
"Use of the suite will significantly improve the quality and
adherence to standards of compilers being used and shipped by our
customers."
Eisenberg added there are other C compiler test suites
available, but none are as rigorous in stress and conformance
testing as SuperTest.
Founded in 1976, HCR Corporation develops system software
for the expanding UNIX market. HCR's products include both
custom and packaged software in the areas of UNIX operating
systems, development tools and networking. The company has
provided products and services to clients such as IBM, Control
Data, Intel and Olivetti. From its headquarters in Toronto,
Ontario, HCR serves a worldwide customer base of manufacturers,
developers and end users.
ACE was founded in 1975 in Amsterdam. It occupies a leading
position in UNIX, operating system research, compiler technology
and software development. The ACE EXPERT compiler family and the
CADESE package are among the ACE products that are being marketed
worldwide. ACE is a consultant to X/Open Company, and an active
participant in ISO and IEEE working groups.
SuperTest is a trademark of HCR Corporation and ACE Association
Experts bv. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Heather Grief, HCR Corporation (416) 922-1937
Dick Davies, IPRA (415) 777-4161jim@hcr.uucp (Jim Sullivan) (03/03/90)
HCR Joins SCO's Fully Integrated Open Desktop System,
Providing Leading C Debugger, dbXtra
TORONTO, Canada, Jan. 18 -- HCR Corporation will join the
rapidly-growing group of software organizations supporting SCO's
Open Desktop, by providing dbXtra, HCR's advanced, sophisticated
debugger for C and C++ compilers.
HCR, a leading developer of UNIX system software and tools,
will demonstrate its dbXtra version in SCO's booth throughout
Uniforum, and company executives will join SCO at a news
conference featuring Open Desktop supporters Jan. 23.
Open Desktop is a fully integrated operating environment
based upon existing and emerging industry standards such as
System V.3.2 and OSF/Motif, the user interface product endorsed
by the Open Software Foundation (OSF). Programmers using dbXtra
under Open Desktop will be able to take advantage of Open
Desktop's functionality while increasing their productivity and
decreasing their learning time through the added value of dbXtra.
"We are pleased to be a part of a system we believe will
play a vital role in the growth of UNIX-based systems in the
office and on desktops," said Brian Eisenberg, vice president of
sales and marketing. "As the computing world moves rapidly
toward standardization in all aspects of software technology, we
believe Open Desktop will pave the way and become the operating
environment of choice." Eisenberg added, "Use of a powerful
standard operating environment will benefit HCR by reducing the
company's need to maintain multiple dbXtra versions for different
platforms, and introduces efficiencies in our own development
process".
The base technology for dbXtra is X Windows and dbx from
Berkeley. HCR engineers programmed the interface of dbXtra to
apply all advanced features of the X Window technology while
adhering to the OSF industry standards embodied in OSF/Motif.
HCR's dbXtra in the Open Desktop environment will comprise a
key part of the company's new set of productivity tools, slated
for release starting in May this year.
dbXtra Enhancements
HCR introduced dbXtra -- based on dbx from the University of
California at Berkeley -- in mid-1989 and has since then
significantly enhanced it. For example, the new version includes
a powerful browser that offers on-line cross-referencing of the
target program. Users can quickly check definitions and uses of
macros, functions, and global variables during the debug process.
HCR also improved the interface by allowing a user to post
several windows on a terminal screen simultaneously, then define
command sequences to move between, scroll within and perform
various functions inside the different windows.
Also, the new release speeds certain aspects of the
debugging process by up to 300 times over the original version by
using the i386 hardware registers to implement several commands.
Help facilities also are improved.
Founded in 1976, HCR Corporation develops system software
for the expanding UNIX market. HCR's products include both
custom and packaged software in the areas of UNIX operating
systems, development tools and networking. The company has
provided products and services to clients such as IBM, Control
Data, Intel and Olivetti. From its headquarters in Toronto,
Ontario, HCR serves a worldwide customer base of manufacturers,
developers and end users.
SCO and Open Desktop are trademarks of the Santa Cruz Operation,
Inc. dbXtra is a trademark of HCR Corporation. UNIX is a
registered trademark of AT&T. OSF/Motif is a trademark of The
Open Software Foundation, Inc.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Heather Grief, HCR Corporation (416) 922-1937
Dick Davies, IPRA (415) 777-4161jim@hcr.uucp (Jim Sullivan) (03/03/90)
New HCR/C++ Provides Full Set of Libraries for Users,
Extends Company Lead in Advanced Compiler Technology
TORONTO, Ontario, Jan. 17 -- HCR Corporation, which last
year provided UNIX programmers with the first packaged C++
compiler, based on AT&T's Release 2.0, today announced a major
upgrade, HCR/C++ Version 2.2. HCR/C++ operates on most popular
386 and 486 UNIX systems.
Along with significant performance enhancements, Version 2.2
provides users with class libraries containing a comprehensive
set of pre-defined objects that permit them to take full
advantage of the reusable object capabilities of C++. In
addition, HCR/C++ 2.2 also includes a significantly enhanced
release of a powerful window-oriented debugger, upward compatible
with Berkeley's dbx.
HCR/C++ has always included the full set of class libraries
defined by AT&T (task, complex and I/O). With Version 2.2 of
HCR/C++, HCR has added a set of significant extensions. The
popular NIH (National Institute of Health) class libraries are
included in source format. These libraries include classes for
strings, linked lists, date and time conversions, indexed arrays,
hash tables, regular expressions and vector operations. In
short, they make almost any C++ program easier to write. Also
included are the InterViews libraries; these provide a simplified
interface to X Windows. As such, they are a major productivity
enhancement for an X Window developer.
"Our initial C++ compiler was received enthusiastically by
users worldwide," said Brian Eisenberg, vice president of sales
and marketing. "Many of them suggested that we provide class
libraries in our upgrade, and Version 2.2 provides a rich set of
them, with the objects they need to fully exploit the compiler's
power."
Overall performance improvements have made Version 2.2 even
more robust and error-free than Version 2.1. Important
enhancements have been completed to dbXtra; for example, hardware
debug registers speed up execution by up to 300 times when
tracing access to variables. HCR/C++ 2.2 also displays C and C++
source code, program output, display expressions and debug output
at the same time through windows on both graphics and ASCII
terminals.
Eisenberg emphasized that Version 2.2, like its predecessor,
is fully compatible with AT&T's cfront 2.0. "Our commitment to
complete compatibility is unswerving," he said.
HCR/C++ Version 2.2 is available Feb. 15 for a base price of
U.S.$995. Version 2.1 customers can obtain 2.2 for $99. New
users who order before March 15 will receive from HCR a set of
publications about C++ and its uses, each valued at around $30.
The publications include "C++ for C Programmers", by Ira Pohl;
"The C++ Answer Book", by Tony Hansen; "A C++ Workbook", by
Richard Weiner and Lewis Pinson; and "Programming in C++", by
Kathy Stark and Stephen Dewherst.
C++ is a comprehensive extension of the C programming
language that preserves compatibility with C while supporting
modern, object oriented programming methodology. HCR/C++ 2.2
provides all of the key features of AT&T Release 2.0, such as
type safe linkages, default membership initialization, and the
ability of each class to define its own "new" and "delete"
operators.
HCR's dbXtra adds the ability to operate through windows,
permitting users to review their output and source code easily,
even on standard terminals. In HCR/C++, dbXtra is linked to C++,
allowing source-level debugging of C++ as well as access to the
translated C source code. dbXtra can also be used to debug C
programs produced by standard (COFF) UNIX compilers. HCR's
standard full service support and upgrade options are available.
Founded in 1976, HCR Corporation develops system software
for the expanding UNIX market. HCR's products include both
custom and packaged software in the areas of UNIX operating
systems, development tools and networking. The company has
provided products and services to clients such as IBM, Control
Data, Intel and Olivetti. From its headquarters in Toronto,
Ontario, HCR serves a worldwide customer base of manufacturers,
developers and end users.
HCR/C++ and dbXtra are trademarks of HCR Corporation. UNIX is a
registered trademark of AT&T.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Heather Grief, HCR Corporation (416) 922-1937
Dick Davies, IPRA (415) 777-4161