Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rphroy!caen!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!cs326ag From: cs326ag@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Loren J. Rittle) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer Subject: C compilers (was a flame war : -) Message-ID: <1991Apr3.233053.7051@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 3 Apr 91 23:30:53 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 82 In article mykes@amiga0.SF-Bay.ORG (Mike Schwartz) writes: >Maybe someone can answer these questions for me: I can't answer many of your questions, but I have a few comments and maybe an enlightenment or two. >Why is the best compiler on the Amiga run the bejeezes slow? In my >experience, your development cycle (edit/compile/link/run/debug and >repeat all the above) is critical to your productivity. See below... >fWhy isn't something like LightSpeed 'C' available for the Amiga? It >flies and generates awesome code. Don't know, but I personally perfer SAS/C 5.10a to LightSpeed 4.x anyways so this does not bother me. I would like SAS/C to go at LightSpeed though :-). >Why hasn't someone made the entire c.lib into a loadable library >so all programs can share it instead of duplicating these routines >hundreds of times all over everyone's hard disks? Why not even >just printf.library (this alone would save megabytes on my hard disk)? I think Matt's DICE library routines could be placed into a library, Matt? This really is something that should have been done *a* *hell* *of* a long time ago... >Why didn't Jez Sans write a 'C' compiler? Who's Jez Sans? Never heard of him... >Why don't 'C' compilers support linkerless usage? > >Why don't 'C' compilers know about the routines in the OS without >#pragmas? While we're at it, why not all the structures and other >things from the header files, too? Have you ever used precompiled headers? They will make SAS/C (and I'd bet Aztec) fly. You can set it up so all the above info (i.e. #pragmas for all OS routines and all the structures) are in one neat little file that the compiler loads before compiling your source. This can really speed up SAS/C. >Why don't 'C' compiler c.lib libraries automatically use the Exec >Task structure's TC_TRAPCODE field to trap 99% of the gurus that >happen and force programs to exit gracefully? Maybe the question >is why don't 'C' programmers do it all the time? OK, here is another great point! This too should have been done a long time ago... I guess we could also ask why don't 'asm' programmers do it all the time? :-) I will make on side point, how come *all* programs on the Amiga don't do something logical upon seeing the SIGBREAKF_CTRL_C flag set? Every program I write can be halted with a `break ' or more generally, Signal (TaskAddr, SIGBREAKF_CTRL_C). >Why do 'C' programmers ask me whether I use: > MULU #17,d0 >instead of: > move.l d0,d1 > lsl.l #4,d0 > add.l d1,d0 >when it is basic programming normally done by assembler language >programmers (one of the oldest tricks in the book)? I would never ask such a dumb question... >Come on people, no flames for this, these are serious questions. >-- >**************************************************** >* I want games that look like Shadow of the Beast * >* but play like Leisure Suit Larry. * >**************************************************** Me too... Loren J. Rittle -- ``NewTek stated that the Toaster *would* *not* be made to directly support the Mac, at this point Sculley stormed out of the booth...'' --- A scene at the recent MacExpo. Gee, you wouldn't think that an Apple Exec would be so worried about one little Amiga device... Loren J. Rittle l-rittle@uiuc.edu