Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!aero-c!jordan
From: jordan@aero.org (Larry M. Jordan)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Programming Windows
Message-ID: <1991Jun4.011032.25104@aero.org>
Date: 4 Jun 91 01:10:32 GMT
References: <11803@skye.cs.ed.ac.uk>
Sender: news@aero.org
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation
Lines: 40

I've been using Turbo Pascal for Windows the past 2 weeks
and find it hard to beat.  Windows development from within
windows--the IDE is like having multiple notepads open, but
each is the TP editor with that command set if you want it.
The debugger works in an alternate screen (in text mode), so
you don't need to buy a second monitor (mono) and card.  

The package comes with WinCrt and WinDOS units to give
you DOS-like programming capabilities--eases the transition
into Windows:  I find I use writeln's to the standard output
window to monitor progress.  

What I like best about this package is that I don't have
to worry about memory model nonsense, especially when I'm
trying to learn Windows, which I consider to be task enough.
(Or you can look at it as being stuck with one memory model
[medium], if it pleases.)  I did some timing studies with an application I'm 
developing, comparing Turbo Pascal with Zortech C/C++ small
and medium memory model versions (identical).  For what it's worth the small
memory model Zortech app. was 25% faster at completing the
task and the medium model version was 12% faster.  I'm willing
to live with this difference, considering how productive I've
become:  I've created two(!) DLLs; picked up OWL fundamentals
without too much trouble; used the WRT to build the menu's
and incorporate these resources via a source directive.  (You never
have to build a make file, linker response file or whatever.) In
just two weeks I have a working Windows app. built on top of 
ObjectWindows and the Windows API, which views satellite imagery.
[I'm not considered an "application" programmer by my friends.]

Once I've learned Windows, I might go back to using an SDK-like approach
to application development if I want that last ounce of performance,
but I hope not.  I'll build those critcal routines as Zortech C/C++ or
JPI Modula-2 DLLs or handcraft them in inline TPW assembler.  I
hope the other language vendors are watching TPW to see what Windows
development ought to be like.

--Larry

[I reread this.  It does sound like vendor copy, sorry.]