Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watnot.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!kpschoedel From: kpschoedel@watnot.UUCP (kpschoedel) Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm Subject: ProLine C Message-ID: <11156@watnot.UUCP> Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 11:30:24 EST Article-I.D.: watnot.11156 Posted: Wed Apr 17 11:30:24 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 01:47:12 EST Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 54 ratosthenes' Seive benchmark from BYTE magazine (Apr81?), with only one time through. Execution required 7 (yes, seven) seconds. This compares to 318 for BASIC, 55 for Oxford Pascal, and 85 for Kyan Pascal. Compilation is reasonably fast--most of the time is spent waiting for the compiler to load. (It's in two parts; takes about 2:30 total on a 1541). That's provided it works. It is heavily copy-protected, and often rejects its own master disk. Of four copies (of course I mean four original, brand new disks) from a local computer store, two would not work at all, one worked about 30% of the time, and one works about 80% of the time. At at least 90s per attempt, failures quickly become annoying. I don't know if this is typical, but I'd suggest you try before you buy. It is a good compiler, though. It comes with editor, compiler, linker, library functions, and a few utilities. The editor has a syntax-check command; this catches missing braces, parentheses, semicolons, etc., but not undeclared identifiers and such. It's a time-saver. The library functions are all provided in compiled form only; they are added during the linking process. This helps keep compilation time down. Incidentally, the linker adds only those functions actually used by the program, unlike some compilers that add a default library and produce monstously large code. Programs can be linked either to run under the shell program provided, or under basic, or at any specific address. Code seems to be the same size in all cases. Other points: short, long, and int are identical, as are float and double. For floating point operations, the compiler apparently uses the basic rom routines. Lessee, now; there are no bit-fields, and static initializations are limited. There are also a few so called 'program anamolies', ie compiler bugs, but these are minor and easily avoided. The manual includes reference to the library routines, comments on how to increase code effeciency, and instructions on using machine language subroutines with C programs. There's also an introductory SAMS/Waite text on C. A phone number is provided for a help/bulletin board; it's somewhere near Chicago, I think. Concluding, I think this is a pretty good package. I just hope they can produce consistently readable disks soon. If you want to contact me about this, don't mail to me here; my account goes pfffft at the end of the term. Use paper mail to: Kevin Schoedel, RR#1, Erin Ontario, N0B 1T0, or call (519) 855-4690.