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From: phils@tekigm.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: C compilers; request for info
Message-ID: <1056@tekigm.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 9-Dec-86 23:34:10 EST
Article-I.D.: tekigm.1056
Posted: Tue Dec  9 23:34:10 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Dec-86 10:59:25 EST
References: <795@ulowell.UUCP> <9776@sun.uucp> <248@sbcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: phils@tekigm.UUCP (Phil Staub)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 47

In article <248@sbcs.UUCP> root@sbcs.UUCP (Root) writes:
>by your company.  Seriously, the Sun C compiler produces good, correct
>code for either 68000/68010/68020's.  All one has to do to use it is to
>rewrite a few multiply/divide routines, and get/write a C library (Manx
>commercial version comes with lib source, right?), and of course, cook
>up a format converter from a.out -> AmigaDOS executable.  I have been doing
>development using a system similar to this for several months now, and
>am convinced that cross development is the only way to go for serious
>work.

I see two problems with this.

First is the questionable legality of putting the Manx library on a machine
other than that for which the compiler was bought. I'd like to see some
comments from some of our more legal-minded readers about this, as I have
been considering doing just this, but have felt legally obliged to provide
routines of my own design, or at least in the public domain.

The second pertains to what your development environment is. If you are able
to develop code which can be quickly downloaded to the Amiga, that's one
thing. But if, for example, you develop code via modem and must download at
1200 baud, the extra time required for download more than makes up for the
amount of time it takes to compile in a native environment (i.e., on the
Amiga). This brings it down to which compiler generates better code.
We have a GreenHills compiler running on a Gould Unix system (read: *fast*
compilation times). In many cases, I have found that at least the size of
the code generated by the Manx compiler compares very favorably with the
GreenHills compiler. (Of course, that only means anything when Manx writes
the right code 8-) !! ). I'm not sure about speed. Another thing about the
GreenHills compiler is that (unless there's a switch I don't know about) it
doesn't generate PC relative code for anything. It's all absolute.
This results in bigger code which must be relocated before execution when 
AmigaDOS loads it. (read: longer startup times).

For these reasons, I'll continue to use my Manx compiler for anything that 
doesn't require more disk than I have available (2 floppies for now).


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"I'm sure you think you understand what you thought I said, but I hope you
realize that what you heard is not what I meant."

Phil Staub                       P.O. Box 3500
Tektronix, Inc.                  Vancouver, Washington 98668
ISI Engineering                  M/S C1-904, (206) 253-5634
..tektronix!tekigm!phils
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