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From: bds@mtgzz.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Proported PD C Compiler
Message-ID: <2596@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Apr-87 16:51:38 EST
Article-I.D.: mtgzz.2596
Posted: Fri Apr 10 16:51:38 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 20:10:54 EST
References: <174@osupyr.UUCP> <797@viper.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T, Middletown NJ
Lines: 44
Summary: A good C compiler

In article <797@viper.UUCP>, john@viper.UUCP (John Stanley) writes:
> The creature does, in fact, exist.  Unfortuntely, even though it's an
> excelent first-round attempt, I decided I wouldn't want to use it for
> any significant work.  (Significant = anything over 100 lines of code)
> The compiler does work, but since it doesn't support all the features
> -I- personaly use in normal development work I can't use it.

Having used the SHAREWARE C compiler, I can say that its much better than
the impression this passage leaves. It IS true that no resource
editor included, floating point is not supported, initializing is not
well supported, and that the standard library is limited in scope.

Even so, -I- HAVE done significant work with the compiler, which has resulted
in my having written additional support libraries (which I have
given to the author): a complete printf, vdi commands, complete string
library, getopt(), setjmp(), longjmp(), etc. I hope to provide a gemdos
header file soon that is compatable with those provided with other
C compilers (limited by my not having any other C compiler to compare
against).

The AMAZING thing about this compiler is that it CAN run on a
unexpanded 520 with a single sided drive, AND there is room for a
RAM disk to improve performance. That is the way I used the compiler
until I bought a hard disk.

I am working on two projects using this compiler: a command shell that
gives the feel of the Korn shell (history, emacs editing), and has a
set of commonly used programs built in (cat, simple grep, ls, df, echo, cp,
mv, etc.) to improve performance and save on space. This is almost complete
(currently adding if statements and loops), and when complete will amount
to a LOT more than a 100 lines.

The second one is a long term project for a chess database, that
uses the mouse to move chess pieces on the board or set up a position,
and will query the database. This uses vdi for drawing the board and
moving the chess pieces, and a window for scrolling through text
representing the continuation (ala' MCO for you chess fans). Now here I
admit that the lack of a resource editor hurts, because I don't know how
to program the menu bar from C (any help here?). I am currently using
key sequences for command input (good for an expert mode), and may have
to resort to dial buttons (*sigh*).

It is within the power of us users to make this a tool a real winner
by writing and sharing libraries, header files, and utilities.