Re: [gaius@glam.ac.uk: GNU Modula-2 progress]

[Gaius Mulley <gaius@glam.ac.uk>]

> rms wanted us to get in touch with you so we can coordinate getting
> the work you've been doing into the compiler.

Many thanks for the hints on how to integrate Modula-2 changes into
gcc - especially the URL and cvs info.

Here is part of the message I've just sent to rms about who wrote m2f:


Thanks for the reply, for my sins I wrote all the compiler modules
and all the library modules expect two (see below). It is a
fully functioning Modula-2 compiler which currently runs on Linux and
generates 80[3456]86 code, 8086 and is32 (a research abstract machine
processor). It generated GDB .stabs info and worked well with the
emacs/gdb combination. On the plus side it allows declarations in any
order - as per Wirth's definition and it also allows abstract types to
be any type, not just a pointer type. It conforms to Programming in
Modula-2 edition 2 by N. Wirth (albeit the library modules are different).

On the downside the code generator of m2f could be improved.
Thus one of the many attractions of linking the front end of
m2f up to the gcc back end :-).

There are two library modules which I didn't write and I shall rewrite
these modules (or remove them) Sort.mod (quicksort and bubble sort -
actually the compiler doesn't need these so it might be easier to rm it).
Also FIO.mod the file system input output module, which to keep things
clean I'll take it out and write an alterative module blind following the
guidelines in the emacs info system (using dynamic memory and different
algorithms/approaches). Currently the all the library modules are not held
by GPL but after this work they could be under GPL if you wish? I'm very
keen for as much to be under GPL as possible.

Any advice?

Is this the right thing to do? I've signed a GNU registration form
3 years ago when I submitted some changes to gdb and binutils. Do
I need to sign another for m2f/gcc ?

cheers Gaius

URL:  http://floppsie.comp.glam.ac.uk    click on Modula-2 and m2f under
"Scratching an itch"