Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!cernvax!ethz!aplusl
From: aplusl@ethz.UUCP (Albert Meier)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.modula2
Subject: Re: modula-2's for the Sun 3
Message-ID: <494@ethz.UUCP>
Date: 4 Jul 88 07:52:30 GMT
References: <1442@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>
Reply-To: aplusl@bernina.UUCP (Albert Meier)
Organization: ETH Zuerich, Switzerland
Lines: 38

In article <1442@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Mr Jack Campin) writes:
>I have not subscribed to this group before, so I have missed any previous
>discussion of this, I am sure, much-asked question.
>
>What is the best m2 compiler for the Sun 3? It must:
>	- generate native code
>	- be stable (not being beta-tested on paying customers)
>	- be good at supporting low-level gunge (inc. cross-calling to
>		assembler and C)
>
	- have good and well-documented libraries

Yes such a compiler exists. It is called MOCKA and was developed by
Franz Engelmann at GMD. GMD started marketing at a very low level and
sold the whole know-how (including Franz Engelmann, who is member of the
ISO Modula-2 working group) to another company in Germany.

These people seem not to like Modula-2, it's a pity! We tried to sell
this compiler but we usually didn't get replies on our letters and after
meetings not before the third reminder. It seems that this excellent
compiler is lost for the market.

Compared to the Sun M2 compiler from Sun themselves MOCKA is/was about
3-4 times faster compiling and about 30% in execution time. The
comparison was made in December 1987. The look and feel is also much
better. Let's hope that MOCKA still will come.

We have no comparison with the Oregon Sun M2 compiler, but it looks like
we would have to go with this compiler only, at least after a nice
meeting with Randy Bush last Friday night in Zurich.

Kind regards

    .....           Albert Meier        Tel.  +41/1/700 30 37
   .. ....          A+L AG, Im Spaeten 23, CH-8906 Bonstetten
  ..   ....
 .......A+L.        E-Mail          aplusl@ifi.ethz.(ch/UUCP)
..       .......                 ...mcvax!cernvax!ethz!aplusl