Free Pascal Compiler Review: Difference between revisions
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==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
The [[Free Pascal]] Compiler (FPC or, older name, FPK) is one of the most advanced Pascal compilers for OS/2. Other good Pascal compilers exist but all of them have some disadvantages. One of most known compilers is [[Virtual Pascal]] Compiler - a very good compiler with an IDE and good Borland/[[Turbo Pascal]] compatibility with support of some Delphi-language extensions. But it's not so dynamically extended and improved nowadays. The Sibyl compiler is another example. Good Visual Development environment (Delphi-like RAD), but too outdated and not developed any more. On another side we have good open source, constantly improved Pascal compiler with excellent support of Turbo Pascal & Borland Delphi dialects. Also other dialects supported like GNU Pascal and MAC Pascal. FPC can be executed on wide range of processors and platforms, including OS/2. At the present time OS/2 version exist in two flavours: EMX and OS/2. EMX is first OS/2 version of FPC. Nowadays EMX not so good supported as the native OS/2 version. The native OS/2 version of FPC still uses EMX libraries to have access to 16-bit functions of OS/2 and EMX tools are still used for compilation. At the present time Watcom tools support is in work. Latest alpha/beta versions of FPC also contain [[Turbo Vision]] support (name of Turbo Vision clone is Free Vision) and Turbo Pascal-like IDE. FPC comes with lot of packages (aka libraries) with support some OS/2 specific APIs and lot of cross-platform packages. FPC is an open-source project so everybody of us can improve and extend it (of course, core team can reject your patches if they are out of the general strategy of development). | The [[Free Pascal]] Compiler (FPC or, older name, FPK) is one of the most advanced Pascal compilers for OS/2. Other good Pascal compilers exist, but all of them have some disadvantages. One of the most known compilers is [[Virtual Pascal]] Compiler - a very good compiler with an IDE and good Borland/[[Turbo Pascal]] compatibility with support of some Delphi-language extensions. But it's not so dynamically extended and improved nowadays. The Sibyl compiler is another example. Good Visual Development environment (Delphi-like RAD), but too outdated and not developed any more. On another side we have good open source, constantly improved Pascal compiler with excellent support of Turbo Pascal & Borland Delphi dialects. Also, other dialects supported like GNU Pascal and MAC Pascal. FPC can be executed on a wide range of processors and platforms, including OS/2. At the present time, OS/2 version exist in two flavours: EMX and OS/2. EMX is the first OS/2 version of FPC. Nowadays EMX not so good supported as the native OS/2 version. The native OS/2 version of FPC still uses EMX libraries to have access to 16-bit functions of OS/2 and EMX tools are still used for compilation. At the present time, Watcom tools support is in work. Latest alpha/beta versions of FPC also contain [[Turbo Vision]] support (name of Turbo Vision clone is Free Vision) and Turbo Pascal-like IDE. FPC comes with a lot of packages (aka libraries) with support some OS/2 specific APIs and a lot of cross-platform packages. FPC is an open-source project, so everybody of us can improve and extend it (of course, the core team can reject your patches if they are out of the general strategy of development). | ||
OS/2 part of FPC team have lot of plans on improvements and extensions for OS/2 version of FPC. Primary goal is native OS/2 target (no EMX tools and libs). For now with help of Watcom tools. Later - via an internal assembler/linker. | OS/2 part of FPC team have a lot of plans on improvements and extensions for OS/2 version of FPC. Primary goal is native OS/2 target (no EMX tools and libs). For now with help of Watcom tools. Later - via an internal assembler/linker. | ||
==FPC/2 at the present== | ==FPC/2 at the present== | ||
OS/2 version of the compiler is mainly maintained by Tomas Hajny. Other developers (including myself) work on FPC/2 from the time to time. Current FPC/2 supports most of things which are supported for other platforms. The main disadvantage of FPC/2 is that OS/2 target still uses EMX tools and EMXWRAP.DLL. Work to throw away EMX completely (I mean to have two versions of compiler - one with EMX, another without) in progress. Tomas and | OS/2 version of the compiler is mainly maintained by Tomas Hajny. Other developers (including myself) work on FPC/2 from the time to time. Current FPC/2 supports most of the things which are supported for other platforms. The main disadvantage of FPC/2 is that OS/2 target still uses EMX tools and EMXWRAP.DLL. Work to throw away EMX completely (I mean to have two versions of compiler - one with EMX, another without) in progress. Tomas and I removed most of EMX-specific code from OS/2 runtime and replaced them by native OS/2 implementation. One of significant improvement by this work is totally rewritten OS/2 heap manager with high memory support. | ||
Slowly FPC/2 moves to native OS/2 compiler/target support. But some features still not supported. FPC/2 still doesn't support DLL creation. So you can't create REXX library with it. FPC/2 does not support 16-bit calling conversion (thunking). Smart-linking (no unused code in executables) doesn't work very well. Recently Free Vision (Turbo Vision reimplementation) was included in the main distribution, so next version can include text-mode IDE (like in Borland Pascal and Virtual Pascal) and Free Vision itself. Another issue is missing integrated debugger in the OS/2 build of FPC IDE - PMGDB serves as debugger until we have better solution (not that PMGDB would be that bad - it just doesn't support Pascal syntax, so one has to remember to type identifiers in uppercase, use "*POINTER" instead of "Pointer^" and "(NEWTYPE) VARIABLE" instead of "NewType (Variable)" | Slowly, FPC/2 moves to native OS/2 compiler/target support. But some features still not supported. FPC/2 still doesn't support DLL creation. So you can't create REXX library with it. FPC/2 does not support 16-bit calling conversion (thunking). Smart-linking (no unused code in executables) doesn't work very well. Recently Free Vision (Turbo Vision reimplementation) was included in the main distribution, so next version can include text-mode IDE (like in Borland Pascal and Virtual Pascal) and Free Vision itself. Another issue is missing integrated debugger in the OS/2 build of FPC IDE - PMGDB serves as debugger until we have a better solution (not that PMGDB would be that bad - it just doesn't support Pascal syntax, so one has to remember to type identifiers in uppercase, use "*POINTER" instead of "Pointer^" and "(NEWTYPE) VARIABLE" instead of "NewType (Variable)". Recently, a generation of daily OS/2 binary snapshots was restored, so you can get the latest development version any time. | ||
==FPC/2 in the future== | ==FPC/2 in the future== | ||
We have a lot of plans for FPC/2 in the future. Because no other active Pascal compilers for OS/2 FPC/2 is only one possible solution. We can and | We have a lot of plans for FPC/2 in the future. Because no other active Pascal compilers for OS/2 FPC/2 is only one possible solution. We can and must improve it. General direction of FPC/2 is, as mentioned above, support of OS/2 in native mode, i.e. no wrappers like EMX, 16-bit calling conversion, SOM support via interfaces (like Win32 COM does, it's like DTS) and so on. | ||
Nearest plans are: | Nearest plans are: | ||
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==Conclusion== | ==Conclusion== | ||
FPC/2 is mature but young project. Lot of tasks still open, but most of them trivial. FPC/2 has tasks of various difficult. As for mature developer as for beginner. Any help | FPC/2 is mature but young project. Lot of tasks still open, but most of them trivial. FPC/2 has tasks of various difficult. As for mature developer as for beginner. Any help is welcomed. | ||
In next article we'll explain how to download and compile FPC/2. | In the next article, we'll explain how to download and compile FPC/2. | ||
[[Category:Tools Articles]] | [[Category:Tools Articles]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:48, 21 August 2022
By Prokushev
Introduction
The Free Pascal Compiler (FPC or, older name, FPK) is one of the most advanced Pascal compilers for OS/2. Other good Pascal compilers exist, but all of them have some disadvantages. One of the most known compilers is Virtual Pascal Compiler - a very good compiler with an IDE and good Borland/Turbo Pascal compatibility with support of some Delphi-language extensions. But it's not so dynamically extended and improved nowadays. The Sibyl compiler is another example. Good Visual Development environment (Delphi-like RAD), but too outdated and not developed any more. On another side we have good open source, constantly improved Pascal compiler with excellent support of Turbo Pascal & Borland Delphi dialects. Also, other dialects supported like GNU Pascal and MAC Pascal. FPC can be executed on a wide range of processors and platforms, including OS/2. At the present time, OS/2 version exist in two flavours: EMX and OS/2. EMX is the first OS/2 version of FPC. Nowadays EMX not so good supported as the native OS/2 version. The native OS/2 version of FPC still uses EMX libraries to have access to 16-bit functions of OS/2 and EMX tools are still used for compilation. At the present time, Watcom tools support is in work. Latest alpha/beta versions of FPC also contain Turbo Vision support (name of Turbo Vision clone is Free Vision) and Turbo Pascal-like IDE. FPC comes with a lot of packages (aka libraries) with support some OS/2 specific APIs and a lot of cross-platform packages. FPC is an open-source project, so everybody of us can improve and extend it (of course, the core team can reject your patches if they are out of the general strategy of development).
OS/2 part of FPC team have a lot of plans on improvements and extensions for OS/2 version of FPC. Primary goal is native OS/2 target (no EMX tools and libs). For now with help of Watcom tools. Later - via an internal assembler/linker.
FPC/2 at the present
OS/2 version of the compiler is mainly maintained by Tomas Hajny. Other developers (including myself) work on FPC/2 from the time to time. Current FPC/2 supports most of the things which are supported for other platforms. The main disadvantage of FPC/2 is that OS/2 target still uses EMX tools and EMXWRAP.DLL. Work to throw away EMX completely (I mean to have two versions of compiler - one with EMX, another without) in progress. Tomas and I removed most of EMX-specific code from OS/2 runtime and replaced them by native OS/2 implementation. One of significant improvement by this work is totally rewritten OS/2 heap manager with high memory support.
Slowly, FPC/2 moves to native OS/2 compiler/target support. But some features still not supported. FPC/2 still doesn't support DLL creation. So you can't create REXX library with it. FPC/2 does not support 16-bit calling conversion (thunking). Smart-linking (no unused code in executables) doesn't work very well. Recently Free Vision (Turbo Vision reimplementation) was included in the main distribution, so next version can include text-mode IDE (like in Borland Pascal and Virtual Pascal) and Free Vision itself. Another issue is missing integrated debugger in the OS/2 build of FPC IDE - PMGDB serves as debugger until we have a better solution (not that PMGDB would be that bad - it just doesn't support Pascal syntax, so one has to remember to type identifiers in uppercase, use "*POINTER" instead of "Pointer^" and "(NEWTYPE) VARIABLE" instead of "NewType (Variable)". Recently, a generation of daily OS/2 binary snapshots was restored, so you can get the latest development version any time.
FPC/2 in the future
We have a lot of plans for FPC/2 in the future. Because no other active Pascal compilers for OS/2 FPC/2 is only one possible solution. We can and must improve it. General direction of FPC/2 is, as mentioned above, support of OS/2 in native mode, i.e. no wrappers like EMX, 16-bit calling conversion, SOM support via interfaces (like Win32 COM does, it's like DTS) and so on.
Nearest plans are:
- Finish migration to Watcom tools
- Finish SOM Compiler Pascal Emitter
- Add support of DLL creation
Tasks under the BIG question:
- Lazarus port. Do we really need Delphi-like RAD?
- Odin32 target. Do we need transparent compilation of Win32 source under OS/2?
Downloading FPC
FPC/2 can be downloaded from Free Pascal site. Also FPC/2 available from the Hobbes file archive. Development build (not stable) can be obtained only from FPC site. Stable version exist only in EMX flavour. Development version as EMX and OS/2 versions.
Installing FPC
FPC/2 comes with installation procedure. You need only execute install.exe, fill entry fields (or leave them as is), select preferred set of features and... Enjoy. FPC/2 is here. Actually, exist some ideas about creating of PM installer, but no free forces for it as yet.
Conclusion
FPC/2 is mature but young project. Lot of tasks still open, but most of them trivial. FPC/2 has tasks of various difficult. As for mature developer as for beginner. Any help is welcomed.
In the next article, we'll explain how to download and compile FPC/2.