Re: Kyan Pascal - new insights

[zcaa1122@rpool7.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (Wulf Hofbauer)]

In article <mark-200793090558@128.157.9.145> mark@pokey.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning) writes:
>Now, I know that KIX.SYSTEM _has_ to replace the PRODOS.SYSTEM file
>in the Apple's memory.  KIX.SYSTEM has to, therefore, have a means
>of parsing the incoming command lines.  So why doesn't a program,
>which is to run under the KIX.SYSTEM, simply call the KIX.SYSTEM
>routine?  Or even the PRODOS.SYSTEM routines?
>

KIX.SYSTEM replaces the ProDOS reboot routine at $D100. On a ProDOS
quit call ($65), it is copied to $1000 and executed. The code relocates
itself to $be00..$beff and executes there (so it won't be overwritten by
loaded programs). It is quite primitive.

I don't know about the chaining routines supplied, but the pascal compiler
which needs to chain to the assembler and the assembler itself (though it
doesn't need to chain to another program) contain their own copy of the
reboot code which made it practically impossible to use a better "shell".

I only have some experience with the 2.0 version. The system as a whole
is programmed rather strangely, conflicting to most established standards,
and FULL of bugs. I had to patch the compiler because it assigned CHR(1) to
all CHAR constants - it obviously never has been tested. The runtime
library also was buggy and quite convoluted. The ProDOS bitmap wasn't
initialized properly, the compiler produced undocumented error messages
("47 error") and does NOT confirm to the ISO standard, though the manuals
said so.  The code produced by the compiler wasn't optimized in any way
and very inefficient. I wasn't able to write any serious program without
running out of memory. I gave very soon up on Kyan Pascal for these reasons.

Well, all this isn't the answer to your question, I guess. But it may explain
why so few people are using Kyan Pascal. Too sad that it didn't evolve
to a more mature product - I have yet to find a decent Pascal system for my
Apple (Apple Pascal isn't acceptable for me - the OS is a pain to use).

- Wulf