C Compilers for IBM Mainframe

First, I'd like to thank all who responsed to my request for the subject
information. All of your responses are greatly appreciated.


Second, the moderator asked me to provide the responses for the benefit of
the entire group, so here they are. Since only one person explicitly gave
permission to use their name, I've decided to edit out the names of all
the responders. The content of their replies should be sufficient;
however, if someone really feels the need to contact one or more of the
them, send me some email. I'd be glad to forward your name on to them.


Thanks,
Bob


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I had to do extensive research into C Compilers for IBM mainframe and came
up with two that are both fantastic - Univ. of Waterloo's C compiler and
SAS C. SAS C added a C++ feature not that long ago. I don't have the
address or phone no. of Univ. of Waterloo, in Canada, but the SAS
Institute address is: SAS Institute, SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC 27513 -
Phone 919-677-8000. Fax is 919-677-8123. A contact for you there is Sam
Loflin - Account Representative, C Compiler - Sales and Marketing
Division. From examining their literature, it was hard to really tell
which one was better, but note that SAS has really good documentation and
I did get to look at their C manuals. I recommend purchasing the screen
function library part of the package. As far as C++, you probably don't
need that in VM/CMS environment, but of course, using OOP is preference.
IBM also makes a C, but I don't know much about it - I'm sure it is
reasonable, since C is such a mature language, at this point. I don't
think there are too many lousy Cs..... But, SAS has a great reputation
with their statistical packages etc..... Out of curiosity, are you using
Rexx? What I would like to use C for, if we get it in the future, would
be to work with Oracle pre-compilers to perform embedded SQL. Also, it
would be nice to have sophisticated screen handler functions built in a
compiled language, rather than having to write assembler or use CMS
virtual window commands, which are not so great, in my opinion, to perform
in Rexx. C works at a lower level for somethings, than Rexx, but I find
Rexx is probably the greatest language I have ever used. Of course for
speed, you have to either use compiled Rexx or purchase another compiler
(C, Forth, COBOL etc...)


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Try C/370 from IBM. Try SAS. I think that Whitesmiths also has one. If you
need anymore information let me know.


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SAS Institute, Inc. sells a C compiler and C++ translator for VM and MVS.
You can get marketing-type info by calling 919-677-8200 and asking for
Barbara Droshak. If you have any specific questions about the compiler
send me e-mail - I'm the manager of compiler development.


Hope to hear from you!


---


Hi,
We are using the SAS/C compiler under VM/CMS. We don't have ESA yet. The
product is also available for MVS. The current version we use is 4.50 I
believe. The compiler is actually a port of Lattice C and thus internally
called LC370. We also expect to use the forthcoming SAS/C++ compiler by
end of this year. We use it mainly for porting U*ix based software to our
IBM/370 mainframe. In case you want more details, pls contact me via
e-mail (I'll be on vacations for the next 6 weeks). Unfortunately I've
never seen IBM's C/370, but anyway here's SAS's address:


                      SAS Institute Inc.
                      SAS Circle, Box 8000
                      Cary, NC 27512-8000


Sorry, I don't have an appropriate phone number since I'm in Europe and
served by the local branch.


Good luck.


---


I'd like to know, too, especially about compilers for MVS. The scuttlebut
I've heard is that they are hideously expensive, like everything else for
IBM mainframes...


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Try sending e-mail to "david@dhw68k.cts.com", there's a mailing list on
370 compilers.


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Hmmm... maybe I shouldn't give you this information, as you're working for
a competitive organization. :-)


Anyway, IBM sells a pretty good C compiler for CMS and MVS (I think it was
the first ANSI-C compiler on the market; it came out about the same time
as the standard was finalized). I've been told that it covers all the
latest ESA things.


I was team leader for the library for the first release; at the time it
was a good product, if I might say so myself (this was a while ago;
MVS/ESA didn't exist then). I think that the current people have
continued to do a good job; and I expect that the RS/6000 compiler
optimizations will be or are being folded into the product. This is a
much higher quality product than, say, IBM's PL/I compiler.


The compiler was very heavily tested; we found lots of holes in the
Plum-Hall test suite, for example.


There was a Whitesmiths C compiler; if it hasn't been significantly
improved in the last few years, you shouln't consider it (for a time it
was sold as IBM's "program offering" C compiler).


I know people who use SAS's C compiler and say good things about it. How
well it integrates with IBM's debuggers, I don't know (IBM C is designed
to fit into a "language environment" which allows multi-language
programming and debugging).


---


You should talk to Dr Arthur Norman at the Computer Lab at Cambridge
University. I believe that he has/knows of a good C Compiler for the 370
architecture.


--
Robert P. Tartaris email: tartaris@hsi.com
3M Health Information Systems vmail: (203) 949-6411
100 Barnes Road
Wallingford, CT 06492
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