New versions of Modula-2 compiler for MIPS, VAX available

The Western Research Laboratory of Digital Equipment Corporation is
pleased to announce the availability of a new version of their
Modula-2 compiler for VAXes running Ultrix or BSD, and for MIPS-based
DECstations running Ultrix 4.2. (There are some code generation
problems in the MIPS compiler tools distributed with Ultrix 4.1 and
earlier systems.)


New in this release are support for the following modules described
in Wirth's book: InOut, MathLib0, RealInOut, Terminal, and TextIO.
These were contributed by Philip A. Nelson. And the MIPS compiler
has been brought up to date with the VAX compiler, so the two
compilers now accept the same language.


The compiler was designed and built by Michael L. Powell, and
originally released in 1984. Joel McCormack sped the compiler up,
fixed lots of bugs, and swiped/wrote a User's Manual. Len Lattanzi
ported the compiler to the MIPS.


The compiler generates better code than most compilers for the VAX.
The error messages are quite a bit better than those from the Ultrix
C compiler and the compile time is about the same as cc and gcc.
Further, the compiler includes an intermodule checker that uses
fine-grained dependencies rather than timestamps, so you can modify
definition modules in upward-compatible ways without recompiling
the world.


The compiler includes several extensions. The most notable are:
provisions for interfacing with procedures and data types written in
other languages like C and Pascal (a definition module for the X11
C library is included); dynamic array variables, subarray parameters,
and multi-dimensional open array parameters; inline procedures;
complete support for the LONGFLOAT type; and a pseudo-module
providing a type-checked interface to the C library I/O routines.


The VAX portion of the release includes a Pascal compiler that
accepts a language almost identical to Berkeley Pascal. (Procedure
parameters are not supported, and record layout and parameter passing
conventions are somewhat different.) The VAX portion of the release
also includes a program that does most of the translation of Berkeley
Pascal programs into Modula-2.


The compiler is available for anonymous ftp from gatekeeper.dec.com,
in the 5.7 megabyte compressed tar file /pub/DEC/Modula-2/m2.tar.Z.
Once you have copied this file into a directory called m2, you can
uncompress it and untar it, like:


                                    uncompress m2.tar.Z
                                    tar xf m2.tar


This will create several files and three additional directories,
m2-src, m2-vax and m2-mips. (The uncompressed tar file is about 13.8
megabytes, and the untarred files will take up about 14 megabytes, so
make sure you have lots of disk space.)


>From there, read the m2-src/README file, and the
m2-vax/doc/installation.f file.


The compiler is available to DEC sites over DECNET at
decwrl::/pub/DEC/Modula-2/m2.tar.Z.


The compiler is also available by magnetic tape. Please specify
whether you would like a 9-track, 1600 bpi tape, or a TK50 tape.
Send a check made out to Digital Equipment Corporation for $100 US
to:


                                    Director of Licensing
                                    Digital Equipment Corporation
                                    Western Research Laboratory
                                    250 University Avenue
                                    Palo Alto, CA 94301




Unlike the previous license, the new license does not restrict use
of the compiler to educational institutions. The license agreement
is as follows:


------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1984-1992 Digital Equipment Corporation
All Rights Reserved


Permission to use, copy, and modify this software and its
documentation is hereby granted only under the following terms and
conditions. Both the above copyright notice and this permission
notice must appear in all copies of the software, derivative works or
modified versions, and any portions thereof, and both notices must
appear in supporting documentation.


Users of this software agree to the terms and conditions set forth
herein, and hereby grant back to Digital a non-exclusive,
unrestricted, royalty-free right and license under any changes,
enhancements or extensions made to the core functions of the
software, including but not limited to those affording compatibility
with other hardware or software environments, but excluding
applications which incorporate this software. Users further agree to
use their best efforts to return to Digital any such changes,
enhancements or extensions that they make and inform Digital of
noteworthy uses of this software. Correspondence should be provided
to Digital at:


                                    Director of Licensing
                                    Western Research Laboratory
                                    Digital Equipment Corporation
                                    250 University Avenue
                                    Palo Alto, California 94301


This software may be distributed (but not offered for sale or
transferred for compensation) to third parties, provided such third
parties agree to abide by the terms and conditions of this notice.


THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORP.
DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT
SHALL DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL,
DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER
RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF
CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN
CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.


------------------------------------------------------------




                    If you have any questions, you can send mail to
                                    decwrl!modula-2
                    or
                                    modula-2@decwrl.pa.dec.com
                    or
                                    decwrl::modula-2




This compiler has a number of internal and external users and we feel
it is quite reliable. However, new users often find new bugs so we
expect to hear from some of those who try it. No promises about bug
fixes or new releases, though.




- Joel McCormack (decwrl!joel, joel@decwrl.dec.com)
--

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