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From: rling@UW-JUNE.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: Re: TDI Modula
Message-ID: <522460506.rling@uw-june>
Date: Tue, 22-Jul-86 20:55:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uw-june.522460506.rling
Posted: Tue Jul 22 20:55:00 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Jul-86 19:26:44 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 53


The regular version of TDI Modula-2 (release 2.00A) ($79.95) includes:

    - GEM based editor
    - compiler
    - optimizing linker  (removes uncalled procedures)
    - its own desktop that allows edit/compile/link of files by
      merely clicking on file icons
    - a desk accessory that sets the search paths for the Modula-2
      system, heap size and some other compile/link options
    - modules that provide full interface to GEM DOS, AES, VDI,
      BIOS and XBIOS
    - 370 page manual

The developers version ($149.95), in addition, includes:

    - symbolic debugger that uses GEM windows
    - source file cross referencer
    - symbol and link file disassembler
        symbol file decodes to give a definition module and link
        file decodes to give code in 68K assembly language
    - Megamax resource construction program


    The editor is GEM based but also makes use of function keys.
It is quite slow both in editing and reading and writing files.
It makes use of error files produced during compilation to flag errors.
When the cursor is at an error, a short description of the error is
displayed.
    The optimizing linker is a real improvement.  It is not unusual 
to get a 75% reduction in the size of the final program.  With
optimization, the final code size is comparable to that produced by
the Alcyon C.  (Your mileage may differ.)
    The Modula-2 desktop facilitates the edit/compile/link cycle.
Files are represented as icons and are separated into 5 categories
(DEF, IMP, SYM, LNK, PRG).  Clicking on the definition or
implementation icons invokes the editor on the source file; clicking on
the symbol or link file icons invokes the compiler and clicking on the 
program icon invokes the linker (if the link file is not present or is
out-of-date, the compiler is called first).
    There is space for 4 search paths each being a maximum of 15
characters long.  I think that both of these are severe limitations.
You can't go very deep into the file structure unless you have really
short directory names.
    The symbol and link file decoders are useful in finding compiler
bugs and bugs in other people's programs.
    Speaking of bugs; there are already updates for a few of the I/O
modules.  I've also found one in the XBIOS module (using the link file
decoder, of course).  Sometimes I think that WE are the beta testers.
    The manual contains no documentation on GEM, AES or VDI.


- Robert Ling   <rling@uw-june.arpa>