[Coco] C compiler source

[Stephen H. Fischer]

Hi,

One additional possibility is that OS-9 System Calls can be built to emulate 
the ones supported by the true CoCo OS-9 but using PC library calls with 
translation special code. Not everything can be done, but I started looking 
into this many years ago and came to the conclusion that it would be very 
useful for application programs. System programs would be more difficult and 
perhaps not as useful.

The Borland Turbo C++ Compiler is now *FREE* and can be configured to K&R.

The Borland Turbo C++ Compiler to me meets the /required/ definition of a 
IDE.

That is, "Integrated *DEBUGGING* Environment".

We do not have _anywhere_ a debugging environment at the source code level 
of  "C".

Breakpoints at specific "C" lines can be set, when halted "C" program 
variables can be inspected or watched and stack calls tracked back.

At all times (Except for the maintainers) you would be coding in CoCo OS-9 
"C" with the goal that the program compiled without changes using the OS-9 
"C" compiler would run on a real CoCo.

All the times that I have used the Borland Turbo C++ Compiler I never did 
anything that was not in "C" and never saw signs that I was on a 8086. It is 
very fast, as all Borland Compilers are but uses a text mode screen. Up to 
whatever text mode your graphics adapter allows. If you have an favorite 
external editor, you can use it. I was in 80 column or longer text modes 
most of the time. I believe that all CoCo graphics modes can be supported. 
Putting text on a graphics screen I did not investigate, but I suspect that 
routines exist that can be used with translation.

Any Interest?

To me, if all that you wish to run is the CoCo OS-9 C Compiler, running it 
under the OS-9 Level I emulator is a much better idea than any messing 
around. IMHO

-- 
Stephen H. Fischer


James Dessart wrote:
> Earlier in the past 24 hours, John H. said:
>
>> I guess my point was, why use a one-off emulator for  OS-9 + Level 1
>> when you can run NitrOS-9 under MESS? MESS has the wider audience, so
>> presumably it will get more dev attention, have less bugs, etc.
>>
>> I think if you can expose a shell prompt through a virtual serial port,
>> that would get you access to the OS-9 shell.
>
> The point is that MESS emulates the whole system, and is not sufficiently
> fast to be a comfortable development environment. OS-nine emulates OS-9
> system calls, and the 6809 processor, ONLY. And the system calls are
> written in host-native code, which speeds things up tremendously over the
> MESS situation.

> James