Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!uwm.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jarthur!nntp-server.caltech.edu!tll From: tll@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Tal Lewis Lancaster) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer Subject: Re: Eiffel for the Amiga? Message-ID: <1991Feb1.172831.7277@nntp-server.caltech.edu> Date: 1 Feb 91 17:28:31 GMT References: <1991Jan14.173827.20235@ericsson.se> <9241@cognos.UUCP> <1991Jan25.164526.10764@ericsson.se> <9263@cognos.UUCP> Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena Lines: 47 stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) writes: >In article <1991Jan25.164526.10764@ericsson.se> etxtomp@eos.ericsson.se writes: >>I have gotten mail from the guy who is doing the port. He says that he >>has never given any release date, since he doesn't want to add to the >>amount of vaporware. If he is the only one doing an Eiffel port to Amiga >>Dos, there will not be Eiffel on Amiga Dos in the third quarter of '91. > Well, it is good to hear that it is being done regardless of the >exact data it will be released. >>Yes, Eiffel compilers generate C code. This is nothing bad att all, as >>it makes porting to new platforms easier (especially Unix platforms). >>It also helps to give an interface between existing C code and Eiffel >>code that is usable (it has to compete with C++). > It makes life easier for the Eiffel team (ISE), but is not that >beneficial for an amiga user of the the compiler. Firstly, it >adds a lot of time to the length of the compile (try using the c++ >compiler on the amiga). Secondly, since ISE doesn't make a C compiler >for the amiga, it will force up the cost of the eiffel compiler. >The only major benefit is that you could port the C-code to another >platform, but this is only going to help a very small number of >amiga users. There are some benifits for the amiga user. They won't have to junk all of their C code. Remember one of the goals of Eiffel was to allow the programmer be co-exist with prior work so the move to Eiffel could be as painless as possible. There are still things that Eiffel can't directly do like binary file I/O. But this feature can be easily added with the aid of C. If Eiffel supports any of the PD C compilers it shouldn't add any extra cost. Also, don't you think many of us that would use Eiffel already have C? Agreed, using C as intermediate code will increase the time it takes to compile. But I have found Eiffel's interdependency check fairly good so the need to call on the C compiler is kept down to a minium. >-- >Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated S-mail: P.O. Box 9707 >VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Drive >UUCP: stewartw%cognos.uucp@ccs.carleton.ca Ottawa, Ontario >The bird of the day is .... Barraband's Parakeet CANADA K1G 3Z4 Tal Lancaster tll@tybalt.caltech.edu