Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!elroy!orion.cf.uci.edu!oberon!skat.usc.edu!blarson
From: blarson@skat.usc.edu (Bob Larson)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os9
Subject: Re: C compiler 3.0 BUG with inline assembly!
Keywords: #asm, #endasm, crackerjack_compiler, unix-weenie, figure one
Message-ID: <16346@oberon.USC.EDU>
Date: 6 Apr 89 17:47:47 GMT
References: <1248@mmm.UUCP> <1003@mcrware.UUCP>
Sender: news@oberon.USC.EDU
Reply-To: blarson@skat.usc.edu (Bob Larson)
Distribution: usa
Organization: USC AIS, Los Angeles
Lines: 35

In article <1003@mcrware.UUCP> kim@mcrware.UUCP (Kim Kempf) writes:
>In article <1248@mmm.UUCP> manning@mmm.UUCP (Arthur T. Manning) writes:
>>We would never have found it without our VMETRO vme bus debugger.

The bug would have been easily discovered on inspection of the compiler
output with the -a and -c options.  Not inspecting the -a -c compiler
output when using #asm, especially in device drivers, is asking for
trouble.

>The quality OS-9 C
>compiler and OS-9 itself is superb as can be attested to by a vast list
>of Microware customers.

This is a bit much comming from a microware employee that works on said C
compiler.  I've certainly found my share of bugs in the os9/68k C compiler,
most, but not all, of which are fixed in the latest release.

>  The list of unsatisfied customers is trivial
>and a few of those haunt USENET. 

Few os9/68k users haunt USENET.  I don't think lack of bad comments here
can be counted as much.


One outstanding bug I know of is variables named PC, SP, a0, d7, cc, etc.
The assembler won't let variables be named the same as registers.
(In my opinion, the proper fix would be to rename the registers as far
as the assembler is concerned to something that isn't a valid C identifier.
There would have to be an option for the old names to be used by old code.)
Microware has been aware of this problem for several releases, but doesn't
seem to be in a rush to fix it.
Bob Larson	Arpa: Blarson@Ecla.Usc.Edu	blarson@skat.usc.edu
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