Date   : Sat, 22 Oct 1988 21:22:08 GMT
From   : asuvax!anasaz!chad@noao.edu (Chad R. Larson)
Subject: C Compilers - Followup (long)

In article <8810201631.AA23751@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> gonzalez@VAX.BBN.COM
writes:
>So, it looks like I've exhausted all potential commercial sources of a C
>compiler...

I have 2 CP/M C compilers.   The first one I is QCX, the other is
Aztec C from MANX.

QCX is was an upgrade to a compiler called Q/C.  The upgrade was mostly
compatability and portability changes.  QCX is a reasonably full
featured compiler that is almost completely K&R compatable (lacks bit
fields and doubles, and any of the ANSI or SysIII extensions like void
and enum).  It's biggest advantage is that it comes with full source
code, not just for the libraries, but the compiler too!  It will compile
itself.

Looking at the source, it appears the person who wrote it was not a
compiler specialist, but it is well commented and maintainable.  Local
changes made here were to add voids, and unsigned characters as types
handled specially by the compiler (unsigned chars are not promoted to
ints in operations only involving other unsigned chars, since they can
fit in the accumulator and results in a major speed win).  The point of
that digression is you can fix up anything you want if you have the
source.

I ported it to UNIX to be able to do cross development for CP/M.  The
compiler output is Z80 assembler source, so if you want to do cross
development, you need a cross assembler (and possibly a linker).  When I
bought QCX several years ago, it cost less than $150.  Also, it was sold
with MS-DOS executables for cross support (I think that's what the X
stood for), Q/C was the native CP/M product.  BTW, on the cross support
front, The Code Works also sold (in source) a Z80 assembler/linker.  I
bought it, but unless it has been substantially enhanced, don't bother.
It probably works OK native on CP/M, but took *MAJOR* rework to build on
UNIX!  Repeat after me, "Pointers are not integers".

QCX was written by Jim Colvin at:
    Quality Computer Systems
    3394 East Stiles Avenue
    Camarillo, CA 93010

It was published by:
    The Code Works
    Box 62136
    Santa Barbara, CA 93160
    (805) 684-9534

This information is several years old, so you may have to hunt a bit
to find them. 

If you are not looking for something you can hack around with, but
just something you can run, the other compiler I use is Aztec C
release 1.06D from Manx Software Systems, Inc.  It is basically the
same C compiler they sell to the IBM PC world and the Apple MAC folks,
so it is quite full featured.  The difference is just in the code
generation portion, I'm led to believe.  They used to sell several
packages (called commercial, developers, etc.) that differed in
whether you got library source and some of the utilities; I'm a little
hazy about that.  The set I bought came with library source, compilers
for both Z80 and 8080 output (the big difference is the Z80 allows one
extra "register" specification), an assembler and linker (although
you can also use Microsoft M80 and L80 or Digital Research RMAC and
LINK if you like), a librarian and some other utilities.  The supplied
assembler/linker/librarian are quite good and faster than the
Microsoft and Digital Research counterparts because they are tailored
to deal with the compiler output (no macro's, for example).  They also
support overlays and there is an overlay manager supplied in source.
Since this is a port of the standard Aztec C, the library is quite
complete.  I regularly move programs from UNIX to CP/M with little
effort as long as the programs don't require impossible system
functions like fork(2).

Manx advertizes regularly in most of the computer magazines.  They
quit mentioning the CP/M version in the ads about a year ago, but when
I called and asked for it they were willing to sell it to me with the
caution "there will be no further development on this product, what
you get is what you get".  That was fine with me.  They wanted about
$250 for the whole enchilada (sources for libraries and all), I didn't
ask about other configurations and the price seemed somewhat
negotiable as they were just unloading inventory, I gathered.

Summary: Q/C and/or QCX; you get ALL the source, reasonably cheap
         Aztec C; more robust and full featured ("commercial", even!)

Of course, I am not affiliated with any of these people; they probably
don't even know I exist.  If you have any specific questions not
addressed in the lengthy ramblings above, send me e-mail at the
address below.  Don't give up!  C lives and works in the CP/M world.
"I read the news today, oh boy!"  --John Lennon
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