Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!utgpu!gervers From: gervers@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Turbo C Message-ID: <1987Feb23.140724.12266@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu> Date: Mon, 23-Feb-87 14:07:24 EST Article-I.D.: gpu.1987Feb23.140724.12266 Posted: Mon Feb 23 14:07:24 1987 Date-Received: Mon, 23-Feb-87 19:04:30 EST References: <691@imsvax.UUCP> Reply-To: gervers@gpu.utcs.UUCP (M. Gervers) Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services Lines: 84 Checksum: 26029 in <619@imsvax.UUCP> ted@imsvax.UUCP writes >kent@ncoast of Cleveland Public Access UNIX, Cleveland, OH writes: > >>My opinion is : don't bother with Turbo C. There are other products out there >>that must be just or good (or better), and by all indications, Borland's Turbo >>C will share all of the drawbacks of the other Borland Products, to wit: > >>1. Non-standard (in troubling and non-trivial ways) implementations. Borland >>says that Turbo C will adhere to ANSI Standard C, but don't expect it to >>be any closer than Microsoft C 4.0. My bet is that it will be as close to >>ANSI C as Turbo Pascal is to ISO Pascal. Is this a fatal flaw? Depends on your >>point of view. It is definitely fatal in a professional, production >>environment. > >I've used Turbo Pascal in a professional production environment quite a lot. >It speeds up the professional production something like 10 to 1 over >using the C compilers which are available for PCs. Normally, all things Like comparing oranges with apples (the fruit). Ever tried to write Turbo Pascal with : var s : array [1..255] of string255 t : array [1..255] of string255 ? > > 1. Price: at a retail price of around $70 and a street price Yup, the price is great, and Turbo Pascal is a great product. Even I use it lots of time, but when anything BIG has to be done, it is always > 3. Turbo has the only completely believable debugging system in > the Micro world. All other debugging systems amongst PLUG for U of T Turing Compiler and Interpreter : :-) has anybody tried the Turing programming environment? It's an editor that highlights ALL errors upon compile instead of just one. > 4. Turbo is a large super-set of standard Pascal, with a Only a few extra commands. What about large memory model? I know a few (2?3?) packages are written to support large memory model with TP, but this is at BEST kludgy. > tremendously good interface into DOS and PC functionality, You got to be kidding!! Ever try to write external asm routines to use with TP? > things which lie outside of any of the ANSI standards for > programming languages. It actually allows machine-coded > routines to be imbedded right into Turbo routines (Turbo > inline code), allows DOS calls with the use of only one This method of programming involves either of : 1 . asm, link, exe2bin, hexdump OR 2 . MANUALLY translating the opcodes into things like $90 (NOP) \$CD\$21 (INT 21H) etc (you get the picture). > devices. Masm interfaces for the various C compilers are NOT AS CLEAN? You got to be kidding. > not as clean or elegant. I am assuming Turbo C will also > have this feature. > > 5. Turbo has several good systems for dealing with graphics > applications, including the "turtle" system. These > capabilities go beyond those of other programming languages > available for DOS machines. I assume Turbo C will also have > these features as well. You got to be kidding. The turtle system is fine as a toy to impress your kids, but can you write a commercial product based on it? [comments follow, which I would probably agree] Parting notes : I love TP, but I'm afraid you have made it into something it's not. If Turbo C is like TP, I'm sure I will buy a copy, but, I will treat it as an interpreter/debugging tool. Meanwhile, I use TP for any small program with minimal data, when it comes to large arrays, sorry. no smart comments here.