Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!UCF1VM.BITNET!ROSS From: ROSS@UCF1VM.BITNET (Bri) Newsgroups: comp.lang.modula2 Subject: Time to choose folks Message-ID: Date: 13 Jun 90 01:54:56 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: Modula2 List Organization: The Internet Lines: 46 OK, I need to make a decision as whether to stick with Logitech Modula-2 v 3.4 or switch to TOPSPEED Modula-2 v 2.0. What I would like to know is ALL complaints, suggestions for improvements, and bugs found in TS v 2.0 . I'd also like to hear the same ideas about Logitech. I have been an extensive user of Logitech and have taken it completely apart. I have just received an evaluation copy of the extended JPI and am currently playing with it. The main goal is to decide which is better for EDUCATIONAL reasons and not programming reasons (teaching concepts of programming and proper style) but i am interested in personal reason for true systems programming and other major projects. Now, of the bat I know everyone complains that Logitech is slow compared to TS and code is smaller and faster. To this I say: of course it is. A 1 pass compiler will usually be faster then a 2 pass one. And TS also turned all compiler error checks off during those speed tests where as the other compilers had theirs on. naturally doing extensive checking at compilation time will slow down a compiler. As for run-time size and speed. Same thing applies. Turning off run-time error checking and constraints will naturally speed up the program and make it size smaller. So to such claims I say BS until it can be clearly proven to me otherwise. Other complaints I have about JPI is they are the BORLAND of Pascal. JPI is so far from any international standard that they will have to release an entirely new version when the standard is publisized, and if they don't they risk loosing business to people who insist on portability (a main idea in Modula-2 and modern languages) Another thing I noticed is their documentation sucks (putting it nicely). It is very anemic and leaves a lot to be desired, especially in the library listing section. Logitech's setup is much nicer when compared to this. you can send flames, comments, suggestions or what not to either the this listserve or my account. I will read both. If requested, I can post/mail a summary. Thanks, Bri ROSS@UCF1VM.BITNET ROSS@UCF1VM.CC.UCF.EDU ROSS@UCFLAN.CC.UCF.E