Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!caip!ut-sally!pyramid!amiga!jimm
From: jimm@amiga.UUCP (James D. Mackraz)
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: Has anybody tried AmigaPascal?
Message-ID: <1368@amiga.amiga.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-Jul-86 01:10:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: amiga.1368
Posted: Tue Jul  1 01:10:17 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 2-Jul-86 03:49:19 EDT
References: <44@uwmacc.UUCP>
Reply-To: jimm@homer.UUCP (Jim Mackraz)
Organization: Commodore-Amiga Inc., 983 University Ave #D, Los Gatos CA 95030
Lines: 60

In article <44@uwmacc.UUCP> net@uwmacc.UUCP (jeff kesselman) writes:
>Therefor, I would like peoples reactions to AmigaPascal. (At ##@#!! $140
> I want to make damn sure it does what I need before I buy).

My girlfriend used it for a class.  We had 1.0 version, but later used
1.1 (perhaps a pre-release).  On some points, I will clarify that
I am most familiar with 1.0.

>
>My thesis project is an Amiga based solid modeling animation system, so
>among my primary considerations are:
>1) Does it work, or is it broke?
Seemed to work as advertised, with the exception of file I/O, reportedly
fixed in 1.1.

>2) Does it compile down to reasonably effecient native machine code?
Lot's of overhead in your executable, I recall 20+K.

>3) Does it provide reasonably easy access to the Rom Kernal routines,
>   particularly the graphics and window routines (and, come to think of it,
>   does it provide decent access to intuition, as that makes handling the
>   windows so much easier.)
No.  None whatsoever.  Writeln().


>4) Does it provide a reasonable environment for development of code?
Not in and of itself.  Recall that on a suitably stacked amiga, you can
keep your editor running while you compile, but there are not hooks
between editor and compiler.

>5) What other "Turbo type" enhancements does it support or is it lacking.
>   (ex: direct memory adressing, strings, etc...)
No tricks at all.  ISO standard.  1.0 (and I think 1.1) didn't have
a String type, nor padding of string literals.  Good old vanilla Pascal,
designed as a teaching language by people who don't want any young
competition :-).

>
>6) Also, it may be a while before I can afford a second drive, does it
>   work ok with a single drive system, or does it, like C, require a 
>   million disk swaps to compile something?
You could write small programs on a single disk.  Sorry, no estimates.
Bear in mind that one thing that makes single-drive C sorry is that you
want access to those system include files.  Well, there is no system access,
so you don't need any include files.

>
>I'm also interested in hearing about peoples experiences in relation to the
>above with Modula II compilers.
There is active discussion on Bix.  People seem generally pleased with TDI's
implementation.  I know that they provide nice system access by design.  I
hope they don't have any problems in their early release.

>
>Thanx much, please direct responses to me and I'll summarize.
Oops.
>Jeff Kesselman
>ihnp4!uwvax!maccunix!net

	jimm (speaking as amiga user, not (informed) employee)