Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!oliveb!intelca!mipos3!omepd!bobdi
From: bobdi@omepd (Bob Dietrich)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.pascal
Subject: Re: Public Domain Pascal Compiler Source Code.
Message-ID: <2944@omepd>
Date: 21 Mar 88 22:29:03 GMT
References: <111@ureka.UUCP>
Reply-To: bobdi@omepd.UUCP (Bob Dietrich)
Organization: Intel Corp., Hillsboro, Oregon
Lines: 44

I personally do not know anything about the SIMTEL20 archives; however, there
are some other potential sources.

The first is how Pascal was ported to a lot of architectures in the first
place: the Pascal P4 compiler. The compiler outputs code for an abstract
P-machine which can then be interpreted or run through a macro assembler.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), the last time this was officially distributed
was more than 5 years ago, before there was a Pascal standard. You may be
able to find someone who has a copy. I do somewhere, but relying on me to send
it to you would be a prolonged exercise in holding your breath. While
probably not "public domain", you can probably get it for free and modify it
at will.

The "Amsterdam Compiler Kit" was also based on an abstract machine, called
EM-1. It was (so I'm told) much easier to retarget. It was done by Andrew
Tanenbaum, the same person who wrote the Unix-clone MINIX. While I don't
think it was free or public domain, I don't recall it being very expensive.
I don't know if it is still being distributed, or how close to standard it
is. The last address I have for Dr. Tanenbaum is "...seismo!cs.vu.nl!ast"
(he may hate me for this!).

The last possibility is to get what's distributed with the Pascal Validation
Suite (PVS). When you buy the PVS, you get the Standard Pascal Static[?] Checker
(SPSC), and you can also buy the Standard Pascal Model Implementation
(SPMI). The SPSC is intended to detect every error in a Pascal program,
short of those that can only be detected by running it. The SPMI goes
further, and outputs code that can be actually run. The SPMI includes an
interpreter, disassembler, and post-mortem analyzer. Either the SPSC or the
SPMI might be a good starting point, depending on what you intend to do. I
have absolutely no idea of what the legal ramifications are of using the SPMI
to create your own compiler, but since the M stands for Model, there may be
possibilities. Last year's pricing was $600 for the PVS and $600 for the
SPMI. Everything is in Pascal, of course.

I have no idea what the original poster intended to do with a "public
domain Pascal compiler". These suggestions may be overkill, but if the
project is of any significance, I'd suggest pursuing the last alternative.

				Bob Dietrich
				Intel Corporation, Hillsboro, Oregon
				(503) 696-4400 or 2092(messages x4188,2111)
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