I think what we REALLY need is a free PASCAL compiler that can generate 16-bit code. I know for a fact that the OpenWatcom project would welcome a PASCAL frontend to their toolset. Any takers?
On 9/14/06, Ladislav Lacina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well, there are another two quite good BASIC compilers: Turbo Basic and > Power Basic. > You can both download from my site at: http://www.laaca.borec.cz/pascal.htm > > (The site is in czech and there is a big title "pascal" but don't panic - > theese download links are at the bottom of page.) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Eric Auer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 1:17 PM > Subject: Re: [Freedos-devel] Compiler group? > > > > > > Hi Imre, > > > > > Well I think what we are realy missing is a good BASIC compiler. > > > Something like QuickBASIC. Free BASIC has something like that but > > > that works only in 32 bit. > > > > As http://www.freebasic.net/index.php/about?section=diff > > shows, FreeBASIC is very close to QuickBASIC already. And > > 386+ PCs have been around for more than 15 years now. I > > hear that people think FreeDOS is obsolete because they no > > longer have computers OLD enough to run it. You should not > > support their point by putting much effort in writing 8086 > > software for FreeDOS today ;-). > > > > I would appreciate some FreeBASIC command line options to > > set default types (QB: single for variables, 16bit for INTEGER, > > FB: integer for variables, 32bit for INTEGER). That would > > make FreeBASIC ("command line optionally"!) behave even more > > like QuickBASIC, where appropriate. Automatic arrays for up > > to 10 elements are probably a bad idea, as are automatic > > declarations before CALL, but one could write a preprocessor > > to compile QB programs out of the box. Last but not least, > > padding of fixed length strings should probably have a command > > line "simulate QB" option as well... :-). > > > > > > > > FreeDOS can even run on the most modern PC with multi core > > multi CPU 64bit architecture and many GB of RAM, even > > though it will only use 1 core and 4 GB of RAM at most. > > And FreeDOS is useful for everything up to the most modern > > PC with a 32bit Linux kernel and DOSEMU running on it, or > > even higher, if you use a virtual PC in Win, Linux or MacOS. > > > > FreeDOS also makes sense on any PC which is too old for the > > current versions of Linux or Windows. Because if you have, > > say, only 128 MB RAM, the current versions of, say, KDE and > > WinXP will not run well. Combine that with older versions > > of Linux and Windows increasingly becoming unsupported > > software (I think SuSE has no distro with 2.4 kernel left in > > their "current / supported versions" any more), and you find > > why there is motivation to help people out with seemingly > > old software like "outdated Linux" and "only DOS". > > > > > Let's completely rewrite it so that it works in 16 bit real mode. > > > Especially if we can hold all the tables in XMS. So that it requires a > > > 386 and 4 to 8 Mb anyway. > > > > If you insist on 8086, improve BWBASIC. If you want real mode > > with XMS, you already want 286. And 286 is some half-life state > > between 8086 and the classic 386 architecture. Very small > > group of computers / users if you ask me. Protected mode itself > > is no problem at all for Basic as long as your PC is a 386 or > > newer, if you ask me. > > > > Eric > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? > > Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job > easier > > Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo > > http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642 > > _______________________________________________ > > Freedos-devel mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? > Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job > easier > Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo > http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642 > _______________________________________________ > Freedos-devel mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel > -- Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees. David Letterman (1947 - ) See ya ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642 _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
