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From: dan-hankins@cup.portal.com (Daniel B Hankins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Need recommendation on Modula-2 compiler
Message-ID: <12749@cup.portal.com>
Date: 18 Dec 88 20:47:01 GMT
References: <1801L30CC@CUNYVM>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 38

In article <1801L30CC@CUNYVM> L30CC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (krb) writes:

>Hello all, can someone please recommend a good Modula-2 compiler for the
>Amiga?

There are three available.  Which one you choose should depend on what you
like.

I have TDI Modula-2.  I think it is fine, when combined with a
public-domain utility that gives simple error message formatting, instead
of forcing you to use TDI's integrated editor.

I like TDI because it is *NOT* an integrated package.  It is more like a
component system.  I am free to use whatever editor I like, and glue it
together with TDI M2 by means of ARexx (if I ever get around to getting
ARexx).

I can't really speak for the others, but there was a recent issue of
AmigaWorld that reviewed all three.

>Am I correct in assuming that Modula-2 is a super-set of Pascal and that
>standard Pascal source will compile under a Modula-2 compiler w/o any
>modifications?

'Fraid not.  However, the conversion should not be difficult.  A good book
with which to learn Modula-2 is "Modula-2 Wizard: A Programmer's Reference"
by Richard S. Wiener.  It is published by John Wiley and Sons.

The syntax is somewhat different;  more sensible.  The standard libraries
have to be imported.  They are not part of the language definition.  Things
like Readln, Writeln, and so on have been moved into standard libraries
(with name changes).  Also, the language is case-sensitive and all reserved
words must be in upper case.

So there are some differences.


Dan Hankins