Re: Programming the IIgs

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <4t39qb$p5o@blackice.winternet.com>, nathan@parka.winternet.com
(Nathan Mates) wrote:

>In article <C072196010503.6213@darkcastle.ecore.fnet.org>,
>Dark_Dude <Dark_Dude@darkcastle.ecore.fnet.org> wrote:
>>But what higher language should I start with? C or Pascal?
>
>   C is a lot more powerful, but can definitely be more confusing.

It is also much easier to make mistakes.  Pascal doesn't let you get away
with most programming errors (especially if you turn on range checking)
but C tends to throw you in the deep end.

>If you like assembly, you'd probably want to start off with C; Pascal's
>formality and excessive typing can get annoying real fast.

At least with modern Pascal compilers you can use type casts where appropriate.

>   On the GS, this used to be complicated by the fact that the C
>compiler was pretty dang buggy. [No reports on the Pascal compiler so
>either 1) nobody used it enough to find any bugs or 2) It was
>relatively bugfree].

I haven't used it a great deal, but I haven't found any major problems
with it (just one minor bug to do with an undisplayed error message, that
was fixed in the latest version).

An important point is that Mike has an official Pascal test suite, which
means that the Pascal compiler was tested much more thoroughly than the C
compiler.

In addition, ORCA/C was written in ORCA/Pascal, so the Pascal compiler
must have been pretty reliable to allow it to be used to write another
compiler.

>   In short, if you do decide to go with Orca/C, be sure to either use
>v1.3 or 2.1. The rest of the versions have so many quirks and
>annoyances that developing with them can be hellish.

I'll second that.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, NEW ZEALAND