Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!think!ames!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!ucbvax!decwrl!labrea!glacier!jbn From: jbn@glacier.STANFORD.EDU (John B. Nagle) Newsgroups: comp.lang.modula2 Subject: Re: JPI Modula-2 Message-ID: <17634@glacier.STANFORD.EDU> Date: 17 Aug 88 06:12:09 GMT References: <3740005@wdl1.UUCP> Reply-To: jbn@glacier.UUCP (John B. Nagle) Organization: Stanford University Lines: 30 I have TopSpeed Modula-2, from Jensen and Partners, and am using it to generate code for downloading into a CuBIT all-CMOS V40-based single-board computer. With about twenty lines of modification to the run-time system (for which source is available for $50), I was able to make this work. This is a rather specialized application, but one which few mainstream compiler vendors support at all. This product has sufficient tools to make it possible. Some familiarity with 808x assembler is required for such embedded systems work. But once the startup routines are working, it should be possible to do everything else in Modula-2. Those with more mundane applications should be able to use this system with no difficulty. On a PC, everything works out of the box. The compiler appears generally acceptable. It compiles fast, produces few spurious diagnostics, generates reasonable code, and comes with a Turbo-type environment. Separate compilation and automatic make are properly supported. Graphics and windowing packages are provided, but are mutually exclusive. The run-time checks work properly and interact properly with the development environment. In general, a nice package, superior to, say, Lattice C in usability and polish. There is no debugger as yet, not that you should need one given a solid Modula-2 system. But one has been announced for the fall. It's a cheap system. Under $100 for the compiler alone, $50 extra for the library sources, embedded-system tools, and such. Educational bulk discounts are available to obtain prices comparable to Logitech's. John Nagle