Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!ucsd!nosc!cod!rupp
From: rupp@cod.NOSC.MIL (William L. Rupp)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: pd lang
Message-ID: <1033@cod.NOSC.MIL>
Date: 16 Mar 88 22:22:11 GMT
References: <306@uwslh.UUCP>
Reply-To: rupp@cod.nosc.mil.UUCP (William L. Rupp)
Organization: Computer Sciences Corp., San Diego
Lines: 24
Keywords:comal,C64,information


A  couple or three years ago I was quite enthusiastic about Comal.  I
bought several very good books on the language and tried wrote a couple of
programs.  For a variety of reasons, having mostly to do with my
involvement with several computer systems both at work and at home, I
sort of never got around to doing much with Comal.  However, if anyone
has any specific questions about the language itself, especially
related to the Commodore-64, I will try to answer them.  Just send me
email (rupp@nosc.mil).  

To repeat, my books relate mostly, though not entirely, to the C64.  One
of them is a book on C64 Comal graphics, for instance.  The big problem
that I saw was that the full implementation of the language came in the
form of a cartridge.  That does absolutely no good if your goal is to
create software, commercial or p.d., for others too use.  What is needed
is a Comal compiler, or at least a run-time module.

Incidentally, I understand that Comal, which was invented in 
Denmark(?), is used in several European countries as an educational
language, somewhat in the same role that Pascal plays here.  It is much
better than BASIC, but not so daunting as C or Pascal.  Anyway, if
someone were to come out with a Comal *compiler* for any of the micros
I regularly use, I would definitely buy it.

Bill