SCO experiences

["Bill Walker" <bw at student dot ecok dot edu>]

This is just a report mentioning some experiences with SCO OSR 5.0.2 and 5.0.4
and the 970929 egcs compiler.  These experiences are good for anecdotes,
but little else.


Experience 0:

I had trouble compiling it at first, but with a suggestion from Robert it
compiled out of the box.  Thanks Robert!

Experience 1:

I used the new compiler to build emacs 20.1, just to see what would happen.
It compiled fine, but produced a code file (ELF) about 500K larger than
970907 does.  I don't know why, yet.

Experience 2:

I also used the new g77 to compile NEC, an antenna modeling program
which consists of about 10,000 lines (!) of FORTRAN.  That also works
fine, and produces output that is no different than several previous
compilers.  The output of such a FORTRAN program, under different compilers,
almost always produces some differences in the last few decimal places, but
that didn't happen here.  

Experience 3:

I found that the following (bad) usage of command line switches would dump
core:   (it was in a makefile)
 
	gcc -s -c file1.c
        gcc -s -c file2.c
        gcc -s file1.o file2.o  <-- dumps core here

When I remade the makefile to do this:

	gcc  -c file1.c
        gcc  -c file2.c
        gcc -s file1.o file2.o 

it worked fine.


Experience 4:

Under g++, I found something I think should work, but doesn't under any
compiler I have ever found, including this one.

Suppose I wish to create a template, say of an array:

	template.h <--- contains the template class definition
        template.cc <-- contains "generic" code 
        main.cc <-- "fills in the blank type" and instantiates the template

	main.cc #includes template.h, and template.cc #includes template.h

The compile will fail.  I really don't believe it should.  

	If I build another file like this:

		mess.cc:

                     #include "template.h"
                     #include "templace.cc"
                     #include "main.cc"

	and compile mess.cc with "g++ mess.cc", the thing works fine.

Not being enamoured with C++ as a language, I have not learned enough about
the nooks and cranies of the language  to say with authority that there
is something wrong here, but it clearly goes against the grain a bit.


Experience 5:

	The egcs project seems to be a useful one, and the dedicated folks
involved seem both pleasant and highly competent.  I am really glad to
see this kind of talent and interaction on such an important project.

	Heartfelt congratulations to the entire team, and I encourage you
to keep up the wonderful work you have begun.

73 de Bill W5GFE



-- 
Bill Walker Ph.D.
Chairman, Dept. of Computer Science
East Central University
Ada, Oklahoma 74820-6899

e-mail:  bw@cs.ecok.edu 
phone:   405 332 8000 ext. 594
FAX:     405 332 4616