Message-ID: <129@CS-Mordred>
Date: Sat, 7-Apr-84 00:09:53 EST
Article-I.D.: CS-Mordr.129
Posted: Sat Apr  7 00:09:53 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Mar-84 09:48:12 EST
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Lines: 33

ZOOM Pascal, distributed by Abacus Software is subset of standard Pascal.
The distribution diskette includes a Pascal to P-code compiler, P-code to
machine code translator, a screen editor, and several sample Pascal source
files. The output of the translator can be saved, loaded and run like
a BASIC program (there is a single SYS statement in the file, the rest is
machine language). For $35, you can't expect very much, but I believe I got
my money's worth. 
 
    Some of the limitations and extensions are:

  o Records and pointers are not supported. Arrays can only have a single
    dimension.

  o Procedure and Function parameters can be passed by value only.

  + C64 Memory can be accessed directly as MEM [i], an array of CHAR.
    You can control the VIC-II and SID chips directly this way.

  + Most UCSD Pascal string functions are implemented.

The compiler quits on the first error it finds in the source file, 
a serious drawback when debugging lengthy code. Simple programs which
use mostly integers run about 5 times faster than BASIC. Of course,
Pascal floating point won't run much faster than BASIC.

Backup copies of the editor and translator can be made, however, the
compiler is copy protected. It expects certain disk blocks to be bad,
so expect your stepper motor to bang against the track 1 stop each time
you load the compiler. (This doesn't help my flakey head alignment any)

-A. Kapauan
 ...!pur-ee!CS-Mordred!aak	UUCP
 aak@purdue.ARPA		ARPANET