Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ncrlnk!ncratl!dspoon
From: dspoon@ncratl.Atlanta.NCR.COM (Dave Witherspoon)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: C++ for DOS/OS2
Keywords: C++ DOS OS/2
Message-ID: <977@ncratl.Atlanta.NCR.COM>
Date: 20 Sep 89 01:49:12 GMT
References: <293@softeng1.UUCP> <236@dbase.UUCP>
Organization: NCR Corporation, E&M Atlanta
Lines: 52

In article <236@dbase.UUCP>, awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) writes:
> In article <293@softeng1.UUCP>, root@softeng1.UUCP (Lyle Zumbach) writes:
> > What C++ translators/compilers are available for DOS or OS/2?
> > Is Microsoft marketing a C++ product?
> > When will Microsoft or Borland be selling a C++ 2.0 compiler?
> 
> You're in luck--an excellent native code C++ (<2.0) compiler is available
> from Zortech.  The code speed and size efficiency are legendary, and the
> product is comparable to Microsoft's Quick C or Borland's Turbo C in 
> completeness and out-of-the-box usability.  I have a copy in front of me
> that I haven't had time to even install (more's the pity).  Hopefully
> your mail will generate more Zortech testimonials from people who've
> actually used the product, because the author, Walter Bright, is a 
> regular in this newsgroup.
> 
> /alastair/

OK.  I'll play my tune.  We've been using Zortech's C++ compiler for better
than a year now.  Earlier versions had some problems, but Walter's been
very responsive to problem fixing.  The most admirable trait about Zortech
in general has been Walter's firm stance against vaporware.  Although I
have not received a new version (2.0), I understand that it is in the final
stages of beta-test.  I have every confidence that Walter has a truely
remarkable product on the verge of going out the door.

We started out using Advantage's C++ (from Glock), but we had some code
that the thing just couldn't compile.  It generated names that were not
unique within 31 characters, so MSC 5.0 complained.  Naturally, I
contacted Glock..."tough noogies" was what I was told, with no promise
of repair in the future.  I have access to Walter Bright and Zortech's
support staff here, on BIX, and elsewhere.  By the way, ZTC compiled
that "problem code" first time.

Now that I've gotten used to Zortech's debugger, I don't think I want to
go back to CodeView!  And I'm incredibly anxious to see what has become
of the debugger in the next release...I understand that it will be an
object-level debugger.

Finally, it's true that 1.07 has some bugs.  Some are serious.  We are
told that the next release will be well worth the wait for the bug fixes
and everything else that's coming with that version.  From what I've
seen so far, I have no reason to doubt that.  

True, Borland is coming out with a C++ compiler.  My guess is that they
will be where Zortech was over a year ago with their first release.  

I owe Zortech nothing...just a satisfied user/abuser.

-------------------------------David Witherspoon-------------------------------
D.Witherspoon@Atlanta.NCR.COM         | "Dolphins find humans amusing, but 
NCR Retail Systems Development/Atlanta|  they don't want to talk to them."
MY OPINIONS...ALL MINE!!!             |               - David Byrne