Pecan UCSD Pascal

A 16 bit Pascal development system that compromised an editor, p-code interpreter and native compiler for OS/2 and DOS.

History
Pecan SSI. had acquired the Softech Microsystems catalogue in 1985 from Network Consulting Inc. and with them a license to the UCSD Pascal compiler and p-code runtime for the IBM PC. In 1986 Pecan released them for a number of systems and added a number of guest languages for the p-code system, initially FORTRAN and Basic, but later C and Modula 2 were also made available (the M2 compiler based on the old Volition Systems compiler). But most notably they lowered the price to USD 79.95, which was more in line with Turbo Pascal that what traditional peddlers of UCSD Pascal systems which usually charged five to ten times that amount.

The system could run both as an self booting UCSD p-code operating system and as a Pascal development system hosted on DOS or OS/2. The system ended up with UK operation Cabot Software who increased the compatibility with Turbo/Borland Pascal and developed the Cabot UCSD Pascal for 32 bit OS/2.

License and availability

 * Discontinued commercial software

Author

 * Pecan Software Systems Inc.

Links

 * USCD Pascal for OS/2
 * Volition Systems Modula-2 Manual - Handbook for the compiler that became the Modula-2 part of Pecan's UCSD Pascal
 * Joel Pitt: Volition Systems' Modula-2 programming language - InfoWorld Vol.5 No.38 (Sep 1983)