SRC Modula-3 version 1.4

                                      SRC Modula-3
                                      ------------


A new release, version 1.4, of the SRC Modula-3 compiler and runtime are
available now. This is the second public release of SRC Modula-3. The
system was developed at the DEC Systems Research Center. It is being
distributed in source form (mostly Modula-3) and is available for public
ftp. You must have a C compiler to build and install the system.


The primary changes since version 1.2 are:
      - many bugs are fixed
      - interfaces to the X libraries were added
      - the export restrictions are removed from the license
      - the system was ported to a SPARCstation
      - debugging is simpler


SRC Modula-3 is available without signing any license agreements. If you
chose to sign the commercial license, you will be able to use SRC Modula-3
commercially.


Modula-3 is a new language. The goals of its design are best encapsulated
in the preface to the Modula-3 Report [1]:


      The goal of Modula-3 is to be as simple and safe as it can be while
      meeting the needs of modern systems programmers. Instead of exploring
      new features, we studied the features of the Modula family of languages
      that have proven themselves in practice and tried to simplify them
      into a harmonious language. We found that most of the successful
      features were aimed at one of two main goals: greater robustness,
      and a simpler, more systematic type system.


      Modula-3 descends from Mesa, Modula-2, Cedar, and Modula-2+. It also
      resembles its cousins Object Pascal, Oberon, and Euclid.


      Modula-3 retains one of Modula-2's most successful features, the
      provision for explicit interfaces between modules. It adds objects
      and classes, exception handling, garbage collection, lightweight
      processes (or threads), and the isolation of unsafe features.


SRC Modula-3 includes a user manual, compiler, runtime library, core
library, pretty-printer, and a few other goodies. The libraries include
interfaces for X11R4, I/O streams, string functions, access to command line
arguments, random numbers, and operating system access.


The compiler generates C as an intermediate language and should be fairly
easy to port. Except for the garbage collector and the very lowest levels
of the thread implementation, the entire system is written in Modula-3.


The system is known to run on VAX's and DECstation 3100's running Ultrix 3.1
and on SPARCstations running SunOS 4.0.3.


The system is available for anonymous ftp from 'gatekeeper.dec.com' [16.1.0.2].
The SRC Modula-3 files are in '/pub/DEC/Modula-3'. Those files
include:


          m3-1.4.tar.Z - the system
          Report{1,2,3}.ps - the revised language report
          Release-1.4.ps - the user manual (PostScript)


The compressed tar files are about 4.5Mbytes after compression. The
entire system requires about 45Mbytes of disk space to build and install.


We are maintaining a mailing list of those interesting in SRC Modula-3.
The list is 'm3@src.dec.com'. To be added to the list send a message
to 'm3-request@src.dec.com'. We may also be reached at:


        Systems Research Center
        130 Lytton Avenue
        Palo Alto, CA 94301


Enjoy,


      Bill Kalsow and Eric Muller




References
----------
[1] The Modula-3 Report (Revised),
        L. Cardelli, J. Dohnaue, L. Glassman, M. Jordan, B. Kalsow, G. Nelson,
        DEC Systems Research Center, Palo Alto, CA and
        Olivetti Research Center, Menlo Park, CA, Nov 89.


DEC, VAX, DECstation and Ultrix are trademarks of Digital Equipment
Corporation.


PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.


SPARCstation and SunOS are probably trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc.

Return to the comp.compilers page.
Search the comp.compilers archives again.