A85: What C-compilers have we got? [82/83/83+/85/86]

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A85: What C-compilers have we got? [82/83/83+/85/86]


Okay for some of you this subject maybe falling from the sky, but on
Assembly-83 we have been discussing about the phenomena C-compiler...

Some of us have even thought of porting GCC, but first off all I think we
have to make a decission, which compiler are we going to support (are we?).
Last years there have been made a couple of C-compilers all on their own,
so no one off them is 'perfect'. There is now a compiler (a compiler ?, we
are talking about TI-GCC!) for the 68k Ti's, and it's being extensively
used. So I think the time is right to build one for the Z80 based Ti's...

Here's a quick inventory of all the C-compilers we have got and the
pro's and Cons. Maybe it's the best (if you reply) to copy this message
rather than having all those "> 's" added...

Anyways, make your choise!
	Henk Poley

1#: TISCO
pro:
  * (?very?) good optimizations (dead code elemination)
con:
  * Still beta
  * No source-code
  * No linker
  * Only for the Ti-86 at the moment
  * Not so very good C-lib (only a few C routines are implemented)
  * Only for DOS
notes:
  * Porting is maybe not that difficult

2#: Ti8xcc
pro:
  * Already for 2 Ti's, the Ti-83 and Ti-86, adding support is simple.
  * One of the most complete C-libs of the Ti-8.. compilers.
    (I don't say everything is there, still much to do..)
  * Source-code included
con:
  * Small-C, so no structs... (and some other things lacking)
  * Not so very well code generating
  * No linker
  * Only for DOS
notes:
  * Porting to Linux might be possible
    (so we can get some more programmers to work on the project)

3# z88dk
pro:
  * Small-C+  (MOST 'C things' are implemented)
  * Compiler is being developed at the moment
  * good optimizations (I think...)
  * Linux/DOS/Win32
  * Some rudimentary Ti-86 support has been added,
    by ???, god who knows.
  * Very modular setup, so easy portible to other platforms (Ti-8..'s)
  * Uses linker
con:
  * Small-C+  (NOT ALL 'C things' are implemented)

4# SDCC (GBDK)
pro:
  * Compiler is being developed at the moment
  * So source-code is included
  * Full C-compiler
  * Linux/DOS/Win32
con:
  * Compiler is being developed at the moment,
    so not everything is there already...
  * No Ti related C-lib. But the makers of GBDK are willing to have
    other Z80 developers at their project.

5# Z80-GCC
pro:
  * If finished, very good code generation
  * Full C-compiler (possibilities to grow to C++, Fortran, Pascal, etc.)
  * Will *probably* use a linker
  * Linux/unix/DOS/Win32
con:
  * Has to be builded 'from the ground'...


6# TICK (wrapper around Hitech C-compiler)
pro:
  * If you buy it, it has good optimizations.
con:
  * Hitech C-compiler (DOS version) is still shareware...
  * The version found on the internet doesn't optimize.
  * Very small Ti C-lib
notes:
  * As soon as the Hitech C-compiler gets freeware, this will be a good
choise
  * PS/2 version is already feeware (so maybe use a emulator???)

7# TCC
Don't know much about this one, can sombody tell me what to say about it?

The other smaller Ti-8.. compilers:
pro:
  * Every one of them has some 'good' point(s), so we just have to 'pluck'
    them and add the support to the compiler of our choise.
con:
  * All of them are only for one platform
  * No good C-libs