Microsoft C

A C development system with an optimising compiler for 16 bit DOS, 16 bit MS Windows and OS/2, one of the first development systems to be available for OS/2. Also sold as IBM C/2.

Microsoft also sold a non-optimising version of the toolkit under the name Quick C but that only supported DOS and was never delivered in an OS/2 version.

Versions

DOS

• 1983: 1.0 - based on Lattice C
• 1984: 2.03
• 1985: 3.0
• 1986: 4.0 - included CodeView debugger
• 1987: Microsoft C 5.0 Optimizing Compiler

DOS & OS/2

• 1988: Version 5.1 - first version to support OS/2
• 1990: Version 6.0 - last version with OS/2 host and target support
• 1992: C/C++ 7.0 - only optional OS/2 host support

XENIX & UNIX

SCO Open Desktop Development System (until version 3.0) also includes a (Microsoft) C Compiler which can create OS/2 programs.

Known issues

As with other Microsoft tools that support both OS/2 and DOS environments you may run into problems if you try to use those tools on Microsoft Windows systems that support the running of OS/2 1.x programs (Windows NT and 2000), as the system tries to run the DOS executable as an OS/2 program and fails. Either make sure that only the DOS executables are installed or if they are already installed or you migrated the install by hand, precede every DOS command with the FORCEDOS command.

Publications

• Hansen: Proficient C - Microsoft Press 1987 - ISBN 1556150075
• Barkakati: The Waite Group's Essential Guide to Microsoft C - Sams 1989 - ISBN 067222674X

Links

• MS C 4.0 Documentation (OS/2 Museum)
• A review of Microsoft C 5.1 for OS/2 and DOS 1988 - from PC Magazine

License and availability

• Commercial software, discontinued

Publisher

• Microsoft
• IBM