1. Re: compiler?? step 4
Beaumont Furniss wrote:
> I found that I was able to construct a type of development
> environment for my little C [ almost ansi ] compiler , through QuickBasic
,
> used as a batch file with a dos based menu program.
> This is quite adequate for learning ANSI C.
I agree - I find the PCC (Personal C Compiler) by Mark DeSmet for DOS useful
for learning as well. The download is only 173k ! If interested you can
grab it from:
http://www.rescript.fsnet.co.uk/windoc/pcc12c.htm
> Beyond that an easy to use IDE is preferable , if necessary ;
> written in something like euphoria.
If you like IDE's then good for you but they are not for everyone.
> Fair enough , how big , typically ; is the unix compiler though.
> How available is this free software going to be and how concise ,
> most of the 'freeware' I encounter is a little second rate and seems to
> be an afterthought.
Well as there is lots of freeware then inevitably plenty of it will be
second or even third rate although classifiy software and rating it will
always be a subjective process. Just now you expressed a preference for
IDE's where as I didn't. So you might call one particular IDE first rate
and I might call it second rate. That doesn't really mean much in itself
apart from the fact that different people have different perceptions and
requirements. And a good thing too! It would be a rather dull place
otherwise 
> If this is such a good idea why haven't we already discovered a site
> that's taking software developers through the step by step of learning
> and developing with [unix] compilers.
Firstly good freeware will have documentation included in the distribution
explaining just this. Also some web sites are out there with this sort of
information. Two that spring to mind are Sun Freeware:
http://www.subfreeware.com
and the HP-UX Porting and Archive Centre - the UK mirror is at:
http://hpux.connect.org.uk/
but there are around 9 other mirrors. These sites will give you the
precompiled binary (zero compilation work for the end user) and also
information on how to compile it if you want to. And you may want to
compile it yourself, for example, if you want to modify the software for
your environment.
> And how expensive or available were these.
I can't really give numbers on the cost of UNIX compilers provided by the
UNIX vendors themselves - sorry.
> So why isn't everyone using unix and why has linux come into existence ?
Please remember that Linux is just another *implementation* of the UNIX
operating system. It is different to commercial UNIX implementations
because it is free. However Linux isn't the only free operating system
around. FreeBSD is another free implementation of the UNIX operating
system.
Why aren't we all using UNIX? Well it isn't for everyone (re: previous
comments on perceptions and requirements). Also we could just as easily ask
"why aren't we all driving Ford motorcars?". What isn't so easy is
answering the question!
> Does a unix compiler work from linux ?
Yes - Linux typically comes bundled with the freeware GNU gcc compiler. If
you find a Linux that doesn't you can load GNU gcc on afterwards anyway.
----
Regards,
Andy Cranston.
