knudsen@cbnewsd.att.com (michael.j.knudsen) (05/23/91)
I'd like some advice on choosing between the many C compilers available for MSDOS systems. Before we get into good old religious flame wars, let me say something about what I want it for: I'm porting a large C program, which I've already written and debugged, from a 68000 and a 6809 system (running OS-9). There are about two dozen source.c files and a dozen header.h files, plus a makefile. The 68000 executable is over 100K. This program is totally graphics oriented, with its own windows, and uses both the mouse and the keyboard, plus some extra hardware, so I need good libraries for that sort of stuff. I can't use any "toy" C systems (Quick C?) or need any tutorials. Do I need Microsoft C, or can Borland's Turbo C handle this? What other brands should I consider? I don't expect to write a lot of code from scratch, but will have to do some heavy editing in the system-dependent areas. Also I've learned the hard way that "ports" dont' just come up and run the first time, so I don't mind paying for fancy debugging tools a la Turbo, *if* they can be run alongside my own grafix. Also I can never remember what .c file some function is in, so good browsing tools would be nice. I have a good Emacs editor so I don't care about the built-in editor, tho I hear that Turbo forces you to use their Wordstar-like editor (I could live with that). With Turbo C++ under $100 (?), it's tempting, but should I pay extra for Microsoft C? If I go Turbo, should I shell out extra for their "Professional" version? It must run on a Compaq II '286 with 640K and a 20 Meg HD (or should I look for another computer, sheesh!?!) All followups or email replies appreciated. Thanks, mike k -- "What America needs is A Thousand Points When Lit..." knudsen@iceland.att.com
miller@b-mrda.ca.boeing.com (Mark Miller) (05/23/91)
I highly recommend Borland C++. If you don't need C++, it has an ANSI- compliant C compiler, and the debugger and the IDE make it worth the price alone. In my experience, BC++ will handle programs as large as (or larger than) MSC. BC++ is much easier to set up and use, and the BGI graphics library (included) will make your ports as easy as they can be. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark R. Miller | Boeing Commercial Airplane Company | Seattle, WA | Internet: miller@b-mrda.boeing.com | Voicenet: (206) 237-0960 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
knudsen@cbnewsd.att.com (michael.j.knudsen) (05/24/91)
Thanks for the many replies so far about choosing a C compiler. Borland seems to off the following: Turbo C -- outdated, hard to find anymore, command-line only Turbo C++ -- C++, window interface, still keyboard only, no mouse routines Turbo C++ Professional -- does Windows, mouse support, great debugger Borland C++ 2.0 -- even more and better (?) see below. From the last posting (not quoted), I get the idea that the last two items are really the same, ie, "Professional" implies "not Turbo" so it's just called "Borland." Is that right? Better to look stupid here than in the store (?) Also Professional is going to cost close to $300 (well, that's still less than I paid for the used Compaq 286 :-) Wonder if I can even find it at Babbage or Egghead -- they seem to have lots of Turbo C++ around. Is there an upgrade option from Turbo C++ to Professional? -- "What America needs is A Thousand Points When Lit..." knudsen@iceland.att.com