🚀 go-pugleaf

>>I'm thinking of purchasing a Fat Mac w/2 drives to use as a software
>>development system, and I'd like to get some feedback on the feasibility
>>of such use.  In particular:
>>
>>1. Is the Mac Assembler/Debugger a viable software development tool
>>   for machine language programming?  Has Apple produced a reasonably
>>   bug-free version, able to handle large source files, with linking
>>   capability, and so forth?
>>
>>2. Are there any worthwhile implementations of C available for the Mac?
>>   (E.g. how do they shape up as regards portability, size limitations
>>    on source code, Kernighan&Ritchie adherence, etc.)
>>   I've heard of a Unix C, from Holt/Stanford, which requires a Vax
>>   to utilize; has anyone had any experience with it?  Are any C
>>   compilers compatible with the Mac Assembler?
>>
	
     At Comdex I saw all the C compilers for the Mac and talked to a reviewer
     doing a review. These are the benchmarks that he had for the sieve program
     that was in BYTE last year.

     
                    execution speed     file size      compilation/link etc.
 
     Megamax        6.2 (4.17 reg vars)   5k              105

     Softworks         7.0               25k              300+

     Consulair        10.0               12k              125

     Hippo            60+                 ?               N/A


     He had not recieved the Manx compiler yet, but I talked to them and
     they do not have the capability yet to create a Macintosh type executable
     file (you must use their shell). The Megamax and the Softworks are the
     other two K&R compatible versions. The Consulair does not yet have 
     floating point. 

     The Megamax C compiler has in-line assembler and the compiler produces
     object code directly. Thus, there is no need for the 68000 developement
     system. The people at Megamax said that Apples object file format is still
     under discussion and they will convert to it when it is decided upon.
     The Megamax C compiler allows dynamic overlays and so I doubt that there
     is any problem with compiling very big programs. Also it is the only
     compiler out yet that has a librarian and the ability of the linker
     to link in just the routines that are called (this explains the small
     code size). 

     I don't know their address but Megamax's phone number is (214) 987-4931    

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