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From: ian@loral.UUCP (Ian Kaplan)
Newsgroups: net.lang.mod2
Subject: Re: one pass compiler
Message-ID: <446@loral.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-Aug-84 15:02:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: loral.446
Posted: Fri Aug 24 15:02:59 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Sep-84 10:00:28 EDT
References: <324@voder.UUCP>
Organization: Loral Instruments, San Diego
Lines: 17

This note refers to an article posted by George Smith, reproduce below:

>>     In the article "A Portable Optimizing Compiler for Modula-2" from
>>  SIGPLAN Notices Vol. 19, #6, June 1984 written by M. L. Powell it
>>  mentions that Modula-2 permits statements to reference identifiers
>>  that are defined later in the compilation and therefore requires
>>  a multi-pass compiler.  The marketing literature that I obtained
>>  from Volition Systems at the last West Coast Computer Faire states
>>  that their compiler is a "fast one-pass compiler".  Would someone
>>  in the know please comment.

    Modula not only permits forward reference (e.g., reference to
    identifiers declared after their use) but a fully conformant Modula
    compiler must provide this feature.  Volitions compiler, now published
    by Springer-Verlag, is indeed a fast one pass compiler.  The Volition 
    compiler does not allow forward reference without a forward
    declaration.  In practice this has never proven to be a problem.