[Coco] CoCo gcc project

[Roger Taylor]

At 08:33 AM 11/4/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>That's true. However, I tend to think that non-PIC code in OS9 products
>that are for public consumption might be dangerous.  If you have a
>utility that you use for yourself, and realize what it is, then you
>might be OK, but if someone else takes it and merges it with other
>modules into a file, then it wouldn't work.

I agree - for a compiler meant to just create code that is meant to be run 
in the BASIC environment, position-idependent code probably won't be used 
much, anyway.

However, it would be trivial to add support for this.  The main thing is to 
address memory as LEAr address,PCR instead of LDr #address.  That's not a 
problem.  In fact, I could add in such a translator into CCASM that could 
take fixed position code and *maybe* allow it to run anywhere in 
memory.  Complex programs probably can't be converted so easily.  Anyway, 
that's just an idea that is nowhere in my near plans.  :)

While this GCC project stuff is interesting, my own focus is totally in a 
complete IDE for Windows that almost anybody will be able to use to create 
ML programs of any kind, even those knowing little about assembly.  It will 
eventually include a BASIC compiler, ML sniplets you can insert, project 
templates, and all of the basic I/O code for doing keyboard scans, joystick 
reads, hi-res mouse reads, screen printing, serial I/O, and probably disk 
I/O.   You'll be hard-pressed not to want to use it to create something.

I'll release a demo soon that will surely raise interest.