Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!helios!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!mips!apple!ksand@apple.com
From: ksand@apple.com (Kent Sandvik)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: MPW and Think
Message-ID: <14298@goofy.Apple.COM>
Date: 28 Jun 91 05:08:58 GMT
References: <1991Jun25.180736.28590@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> <1991Jun25.215324.2791@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Apple
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In article <1991Jun25.215324.2791@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, ml27192@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Mark Lanett) writes:
> Gack! No Code Optimizations! That's what breaks always breaks! The version 3 C
> compiler just can't deal properly with heavy register usage. And you know that
> once a new bug gets introduced into MPW it's going to be there for a looooong
> time.

Well... If bugs are not reported they certainly will stay in the code. Today when
Zortech has released a C/C++ compiler for the MPW environment there's always
the possibility to switch to that compiler and see if the code produced is better,
same with the MPW GNU gcc (if someone dares to produce commercial binaries using
that compiler).

Otherwise one could always hand-code in assembler those parts that are time-critical.
I guess most professional application development projects end up doing this anyway.

Sorry if I eventually offended anyone, I just wanted to point out that even if 
critical developers find MPW C not producing the most perfect code (seems like
System 7 binaries work efficiently using MPW compilers), it does not mean a dead end.
Programmers used the AT&T UNIX pcc for a long time, and it does not exactly produce
any optimized code, but there are many operating systems and tools running out
there that have been compiled using pcc.

Kent Sandvik
60517

Loaner copies will be distributed by a number of people.  E-mail to
the person closest to you to get on the list.  Don't be too surprised
if there's a little delay; this seems to be very popular.

    barney@usc.edu -- Barney Lum -- Southern California
    geoff@apple.com -- Geoff Peck -- Northern California
    jle@hpfcla.fc.hp.com -- Jer/ Eberhard -- Colorado
    ericth@i88.isc.com -- Eric Thiele -- Illinois
    mahler@usl.edu -- Steve Mahler --Louisiana
    james@nueng.coe.northeastern.edu -- James Jones, Jr -- Massachusetts
    rjg@umnstat.stat.umn.edu -- Robert Granvin -- Minnesota
    gerry@n5jxs.jsc.nasa.gov -- Gerry Creager -- Texas
    gjh@galen.med.virginia.edu -- Galen Hekhuis -- Virginia 

A transcript has been made by Robert Dorsett (rdd@cactus.org) and is
available by anonymous ftp on rascal.ics.utexas.edu.  It's located in
the directory ~ftp/misc/av/safety-folder/SUX.  A Macintosh Microsoft
Word- formatted file is in that directory, as well as a text-readable
version.  The transcript has also been posted to sci.aeronautics, in
two parts.

Australian readers will be able to borrow a copy from Mark Ferraretto
(mferrare@physics.adelaide.edu.au).  There is some delay here, as I'm
trying to get it converted to PAL and it's taking some time.

If the demand is very heavy, I'll ask for a couple more volunteers and
get more copies circulating.

--
Mary Shafer  shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov  ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
           NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
                     Of course I don't speak for NASA
            "Turn to kill, not to engage."  CDR Willie Driscoll