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- Borland's Turbo Modula-2 for Z80's/HD64180's
- by Rick Conn
- 23 Jan 87
-
- The following files constitute a simple demonstration of
- Borland's Turbo Modula-2. The demo is dependent on a TVI 955 terminal
- (it may also run on a TVI 950 - I haven't tried it), and the BOXTEST
- routine (the mainline) draws 5 boxes on the screen using business graphics.
- This demonstration illustrates the Turbo Modula-2 packaging concept
- (definition/implementation modules).
- Echelon sent me a copy of Turbo Modula-2, and, being a fan of Ada,
- I took a serious look at the system. I am very pleased with it. Turbo
- Modula-2 is certainly not Ada (or even close to Ada), but it does contain
- some of the really useful concepts that I regularly employ in Ada programming.
- For instance,
- 1) Turbo Modula-2 supports a packaging concept. The definition
- module/implementation module concept allows a module to be defined without
- actually being implemented, allowing programs to be written based solely
- on the definition module (deferring the creation of the implementation
- module to a later date).
- 2) Turbo Modula-2 supports exceptions. I really like this concept
- in Ada, and, in some ways (particularly wrt the ability to pass strings
- in exceptions), I like Turbo Modula-2's exception mechanism better.
- 3) Turbo Modula-2 supports multi-processing (coroutines). The
- mechanism is simple, not nearly as sophisticated as Ada tasking, but it
- is useful.
- I really like Turbo Modula-2 and plan to play with it for a while.
- Like Turbo Pascal, Turbo Modula-2 has a very nice integrated working
- environment (editor/compiler/librarian). The code generated by Turbo
- Modula-2 is reasonably efficient.
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
- FILES IN THE LBR:
- Filename.Typ Size K RS Filename.Typ Size K RS Filename.Typ Size K RS
- -------- --- ------ -- -------- --- ------ -- -------- --- ------ --
- BOXLIB .MOD 4 BOXLIBD .MOD 4 BOXTEST .MOD 4
- BOXTEST .COM 12
-
- BOXLIBD - definition module for BOXLIB
- BOXLIB - implementation module for BOXLIB
- BOXTEST - test routine/module for BOXLIB
-
- INTERESTING FILES ON TURBO MODULA-2 WORK DISK:
- Filename.Typ Size K RS Filename.Typ Size K RS Filename.Typ Size K RS
- -------- --- ------ -- -------- --- ------ -- -------- --- ------ --
- BOXTEST .COM 12 BOXLIB .MOD 4 BOXTEST .MOD 2
- BOXLIB .MCD 2 BOXLIBD .MOD 2 BOXLIB .SYM 2
- BOXTEST .MCD 2
-
- BOXLIB.SYM - created from compile of BOXLIBD.MOD; compiling
- BOXLIBD.MOD created BOXLIBD.SYM, and I then
- renamed BOXLIBD.SYM to BOXLIB.SYM
- BOXLIB.MCD - created from compile of BOXLIB.MOD
- BOXTEST.MCD - created from compile of BOXTEST.MOD
- BOXTEST.COM - COM file containing BOXTEST and BOXLIB; runs
- BOXTEST
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPILING
- 1. Compile BOXLIBD.MOD first. This the definition module for
- BOXLIB which contains the definitions of the types and procedures
- within BOXLIB that are visibile external to the BOXLIB module. Once
- compiled, rename the BOXLIBD.SYM file which was created to BOXLIB.SYM.
- 2. Use the Turbo Modula-2 librarian to create a new library and
- place BOXLIB.SYM into this library. Add this new library to the
- compiler search path.
- 3. Compile BOXLIB.MOD next. This is the implementation module
- for BOXLIB which contains the implementations of those procedures
- declared in the BOXLIBD definition module. Compiling BOXLIB.MOD
- creates BOXLIB.MCD.
- 4. Use the Turbo Modula-2 librarian to add BOXLIB.MCD to the
- new library (which already contains BOXLIB.SYM).
- 5. Compile the mainline module BOXTEST.MOD. The resulting
- BOXTEST.MCD file may then be linked (be sure the new library which
- contains BOXLIB.SYM and BOXLIB.MCD are in the search path). BOXTEST.MCD
- may also be run without explicit linking to create a COM file.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- DISCLAIMER: I used to be associated with Echelon, who now sells
- Turbo Modula-2. I receive no income from Turbo Modula-2 sales.
-