🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <oXV6kYy00Ws1M3F1Bz@andrew.cmu.edu> md32+@andrew.cmu.edu 
(Michael Joseph Darweesh) writes:
>Has anyone out there seen a Modula 2 compiler/interpreter/anything for the Mac???
>I am really interested in finding one, but have not seen any as of yet in my
>life.

There hasn't been much discussion on Modula for the Mac. I wonder why...

There are at least two Modula-2 compilers for the Mac: MacMETH and TML.

MacMETH is written by Wirth and friends in Zurich. I've got version 2.0 (2.4
is current but documentation is unchanged), but I've only played with it a
little. Documentation is sparse (68 pages photocopied) but tells you enough
to get it going. Includes a 1-pass compiler, linker, and a "debugger". 
	The compiler is invoked from a mini-shell program that lets you move
between Edit, Compile, Execute, and Debug. The editor is a very basic
teachtext-like editor that does auto-indenting. When you compile, it stops
on the first error. You can then go back to the editor and it will point to
the offending line and lookup an error message. The resulting program can be
run directly (no link step). If there is a run-time error, you can enter the
"debugger". The "debugger" is really just a symbolic stack analyzer - it can
move up the stack, display the variables in a stack frame, their values, and
even the source code of the lines that were executing, but you can't edit
the source, change the value of variables, or continue execution. 
	This might sound similar to one of the LightSpeed compilers, but
MacMETH is decidedly much more clumsy, much less Mac-like (it was patterned
after Wirth's Lilith), is very modal, and requires many keyboard commands.
There is an external linker that can be used to create stand-alone
applications.  Some toolbox support is included, but my ancient version has
some problems that I presume have been fixed and extended in later versions.
	One thing that is very clumsy is that there is no "make"-like
facility or automated way to determine compilation order. You must manually
compile module specifications in the proper order, and if you make a mistake
or modify a specification, you may need to recompile nearly everything.
	I've heard the next version will have an improved user interface.
No comments on code speed, size, or quality but it seems adequate.

MacMETH is distributed in the US by Modula Corporation, 950 N. University
Ave., Provo Utah 84604, (801)224-8999.

I don't know anything about TML's Modula-2 except that it is an MPW tool. 
I presume it is still available from TML Systems, 8837-B Goodbys Executive
Drive, Jacksonville, Florida 32217, (904)636-8592.
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random rumors from Jon Spear, comp eng student | With computers we can make a
jspear@blackbird.afit.af.mil or @afit-ab.arpa  | billion mistakes every second.