From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:C70:info-cpm
Newsgroups: fa.info-cpm
Title: Compiler Comparisons
Article-I.D.: ucb.2137
Posted: Wed Oct 13 03:07:48 1982
Received: Mon Oct 25 03:49:50 1982

>From GWilliams@Parc-Maxc Wed Oct 13 03:07:40 1982
cc: GWilliams at Parc-Maxc
Via:  Parc-Maxc; 12 Oct 82 18:28-EDT
Via:  Brl; 12 Oct 82 18:41-EDT
Via:  Brl-Bmd; 12 Oct 82 20:56-EDT

I'm looking for a pointer to articles or studies that compare C, Forth or Pascal
compilers that run on micros, such as Z80, 6800 et al, 8085, 8086.  I prefer
something that is 8-bit rather than 16 bit in nature to keep costs down (this is
for large volume).

The kind of comparison I'm looking for is execution speed trade offs, in hard
numbers, not just "I think Forth is twice as fast as Pascal".  I'm willing to take
forever to compile (probably on other host machines), but want to run fast, and
don't need an OS (in other words, ROMable).

So, does Forth run faster than a good C-compiled module, or is it just compact? 
And does it make sense at all to compare these languages to hand-coded
assembly?  My guess is yes, and that someone out there knows the exact
numbers.

Thanks,

Glen Williams
Xerox PARC
3333 Coyote Hill Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94304

(415) 494-4811