Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!seismo!ut-sally!utah-cs!utah-gr!uplherc!esunix!bpendlet From: bpendlet@esunix.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.lang.modula2 Subject: The Amiga unchained, OXXI Modula-2 Message-ID: <466@esunix.UUCP> Date: Tue, 1-Sep-87 12:25:34 EDT Article-I.D.: esunix.466 Posted: Tue Sep 1 12:25:34 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 4-Sep-87 06:40:34 EDT Organization: Evans & Sutherland, Salt Lake City, Utah Lines: 96 Keywords: Modula-2, Programming Environments Xref: utgpu comp.sys.amiga:7539 comp.lang.modula2:322 A few weeks ago OXXI announced a new Modula-2 development system for the Amiga and were immediately flamed for the lack of technical content in their announcement. I flamed them publicly and several other people flamed them privately. I was pleased by their response to the flames. They immediately provided all the technical information I had asked for. AND, they offered to sell the current beta version of their system plus three optional packages plus a free upgrade to the first released version for ~$200. That is ~$300 off of the list price given in the original product announcement. One of the reasons I bought an Amiga was the full page adds for Turbo Pascal in AmigaWorld. When Turbo Pascal for the Amiga turned out to be a fraud I tried using Amiga Basic. Amiga Basic was just too slow and painful to use. I bought TDI Modula-2 and was very disappointed with it. C on the Amiga has all the flaws of TDI Modula-2. I bought the Amiga to do home hacking, not professional software development, I do that 8 to 10 hours a day already. I want a system that makes programming fun and convenient but I don't want to put up with interpreters. I want the moon on a silver platter and I'm picky about the pattern on the platter. :-) Remembering that my Amiga has been a high tech room decoration for the last 4 months I decided to take OXXI up on their offer. I called OXXI and ordered their Modula-2 system. They said it would be shipped in about 2 weeks. It was shipped in two weeks. I opened the box, and pulled out two enormous manuals and an envelope with SIX disks in it. I spent 4 evenings reading the manuals. Yes, I read the manuals before I even took the disks into the same room the that computer is in. What can I say, they are beta manuals and need to be proof read for spelling and grammar errors. But, they are good manuals. Almost enough examples ( there are never enough examples ), readable, well organized, and thick. I'd guess about 800 pages in all. Lots of information organized so that you can find it. The six disk include two disks full of source code for the demo programs. Lots and lots of demo programs. One disk has the compiled demo programs. There is another full disk of libraries and another full of tools. The last disk is the complete system configured to run on a single drive 512K Amiga. Yes, you can use OXXI Modula-2 on a single disk system. I'd recommend two disks though. The editor is a derivative of MicroGNUemacs, if you know emacs then learning the editor is a breeze. If you don't want all the features they also include a stripped down version that is about 15K smaller. The compiler is fast. Even when you are compiling to disk it is fast enough to keep you from going crazy waiting. It claims to implement 3rd edition Modula-2, and I believe it. You can load the compiler into memory and leave it there or you can swap it in and out at will. One function key press and its in, one more and its out. The linker is also very fast. There is standalone linker on the tools disk and the linker is built in to the editor so it is always available. Pressing F2 compiles the current buffer. Pressing F3 links the current main program. Pressing F4 runs the program. Pressing F1 finds the next compilation error and puts you in a buffer looking at where the error occurred. I can't think of anything easier than that. OXXIs Modula-2 Software Construction Set is designed for programmers who know emacs, Modula-2, and AmigaDos. I'd recommend it to novices with the warning that you might be spoiled. Few software development environments are this nice. I am very happy with this package. I've gotten more out of my Amiga in the last three nights than I have in the last six months. At last I can program the Amiga without having to fight the compiler, the language, and the machine. I still have reservations about OXXIs pricing. I agree that the add on packages are worth quite a bit. Especially the simple interface modules. If I were looking at this as a software tool for professional software development, I'd say ~$500 is a reasonable price for the complete package. But for home hacking? Anything over $200 is pushing it. If you look at the prices for interactive compilers on the IBM-PC, you see packages like this selling for ~$100, with add on packages selling for about the same. I know the Amiga software market is not the same as the IBM-PC software market, but if you don't think prices in the IBM-PC market affect what people expect to pay in ALL other software markets, you've gone around the bend. In the top of the box from OXXI there were a couple of fliers advertising other packages they sell. One caught my eye, but when I saw the price I had to laugh. The original price printed on the flier was $299. It was crossed out, by hand, and there was a sticker showing the new price of $149. At $149 I read the flier, and have filed it for future reference. I might buy the package. At $299 the flier would have gone into the garbage right them. By the way, I have no connection with OXXI. I'm just happy they decided to publish their Modula-2 development system. -- Bob Pendleton @ Evans & Sutherland UUCP Address: {decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4,allegra}!decwrl!esunix!bpendlet Alternate: {ihnp4,seismo}!utah-cs!utah-gr!uplherc!esunix!bpendlet I am solely responsible for what I say.