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From: mlinar@poisson.usc.edu (Mitch Mlinar)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: Small-C
Message-ID: <4011@oberon.USC.EDU>
Date: Thu, 13-Aug-87 21:02:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: oberon.4011
Posted: Thu Aug 13 21:02:52 1987
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In article <2507@whuts.UUCP> wsd@whuts.UUCP (DINSMORE,W.S.) writes:
>
>	SMALL-C most certainly does support floating point! I know
>  because I have the original and am currently installing V2.1 on
>  the C-128 using CP/M 3.0, all of which support floating point. Many
>  fixes and such were documented in Doctor Dobb's Journals and have
>  been routinely added to all original Small_C versions created by
>  Ron Cain. Jim Hendrix has gone so far as to upgrade the compiler
>  to a more useful and Unix*-like variant.

I was both gone on vacation and had to FINALLY go check out my Small C
library before answering this one:  Small C definitely does NOT support
floats inherently.  There are four and ONLY four data types allowed:
int/char/int*/char*.  The floating point stuff is merely a set of function
calls to implement floats.

You cannot do the following in Small C:

     float x,y

     x = y * 3.0;

Rather, you have to use a function call.  Agreed floats are do-able, but I
do NOT call this float support, just a patch job.

>	Probably the best part of all this is that you could have a very
>  good C compiler for the price of the book, $28. Please note that you

Agreed.  This is a very good book for someone interested in how compilers
are constructed.

>  must have at least Ron Cain's compiler to create V2.1 and the book
>  gives many references to DDJ issues to do any upgrading you made need,
>  if any, since most versions in the PD are already upgraded.
>
>		Wayne Dinsmore  AT&T Bell Labs  AN-4A-118 

Source for SMALLC21 is available on SIMTEL-20 for those who can get it or
on the Torrance RQP/M at (213) 320-9309.  Both SIMTEL and the RQP/M have the
IBM and the CP/M versions; they ARE slightly different - 8088 and 8080 object
code don't get along too well :-)

I am also interested in any libraries one could add to this stuff.  Some of
the things you mentioned, Wayne, are not around in the BBS network.  Maybe
you would be so kind to help this out?  I have pretty much a direct link
to take anything off ARPA into DOS or CP/M (and the reverse); if I can help,
let me know.

-Mitch