Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a218
From: a218@mindlink.UUCP (Charlie Gibbs)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Best PD C compiler/system?
Message-ID: <4109@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 10 Dec 90 20:30:34 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 45

In article <90343.182527DEB110@psuvm.psu.edu> DEB110@psuvm.psu.edu
(Doug Bischoff) writes:

>     What do you all think is the best Public Domain/Shareware "C"
Compiler and
>system that is available?  I'm talking about:
>
>     A) DICE    (Fred Fish #359)
>     B) North C (Fred Fish #384)
>     C) PDC     (Fred Fish #351)

Just to muddy the waters, don't forget:

      D) Sozobon-C (sorry, don't know the Fish disk number)

I use it for A68k development simply because it was the first
freely-distributable C compiler that could handle my code.  PDC
has no doubt been improved to where it would do the job as well
(I used it for a number of somewhat smaller programs before I
switched), and NorthC and DICE are relative newcomers that I just
haven't had the time to evaluate, although I'm sure they're worthy
contenders.

>     Do any of these come with the 1.3 Includes?  (I Know Dice
doesn't)

     As far as I know, no.  But the includes are readily available from
Commodore.

>     Does EVERYBODY think I would be better off just getting a
commercial
>version and swallowing $350 or so?

     If I were writing Amiga software commercially (as I would love
to do far better than writing for MS-DOG) I'd probably rush right
out and buy SAS (formerly Lattice) C.  But the freely-distributable
stuff is quite usable, even if it lacks fancy debuggers and might
not optimize code so tightly.  In fact, once I get a new version of
A68k working with Sozobon-C (86K executable file) I then give it to
someone else to compile with Lattice or Manx to get the executable
file down to 50K.  But try the freebies - they're definitely worth
looking into.

Charlie_Gibbs@mindlink.UUCP
"I'm cursed with hair from HELL!"  -- Night Court