home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- README - Some remarks and words of advice on using PDC
- ------------------------------------------------------
-
- The major pieces of this distribution are the compiler (PDC), the assembler
- (A68k), the linker (BLink), and the libraries and header files. Tying
- everything together is a "front-end" program (CCX), which takes care of a
- lot of the drudgery behind creating an executable program.
-
- Things to do before invoking CCX
- --------------------------------
-
- CCX requires that the following environment variables be set:
-
- PDCLibs - Lists the libraries with which to link
- PDCLibDirs - Lists the directories to search for libraries
- PDCIncDirs - Lists the directories to search for include files
-
- Multiple entries for an environment variable are delimited by
- semicolons. See the file s/start on this disk and the documentation to
- CCX in the doc directory on this disk for examples of how to use the
- environment variables.
-
- As for your search path, at the very least you ought to have in it the
- directory containg CCX, PDC, A68k, and BLink. This is necessary if you
- plan to use CCX.
-
- Stack size for running PDC should be above the CLI's default of 4K.
- 20000 bytes is the lowest recommended size. 32000 bytes is sufficient
- for most things, up to and including recompiling PDC and its libraries.
- To be safe, it is best to set a good large stack size in your startup-sequence,
- because forgetting later on usually results in a visit from the Guru. Should
- PDC ever guru on you, the first step to take is bump up the stack.
-
- In summary:
-
- - Set the environment variables PDCLibs, PDCLibDirs, and PDCIncDirs.
- - CCX requires that PDC, A68k, and Blink be in your search path.
- - PDC needs a MINIMUM of 20K of stack space to run safely.
-
-
- Headers, Libraries, and Startup code
- ------------------------------------
-
- Standard C headers can be found in the directory "include" on this disk.
- See below for more information on Amiga-specific headers.
-
- The PDC Software Distribution includes the three library files necessary to
- compile programs written for the Amiga. Here are some short descriptions of
- them:
-
- * Amiga.lib
-
- Amiga.lib contains the hundereds of assembly language stubs, or
- "stub-routines", that allow programs written in C to call the Amiga's
- standard set of shared libraries. It also contains a few functions to
- aid in the construction and destruction of some common entities (eg,
- CreateTask, DeletePort, NewList, etc.). The version of Amiga.lib
- included with PDC can be built automatically by invoking the makefile
- contained in the "lib/src" directory on this disk and providing a copy
- of your Workbench 1.3 Extras disk. For convenience, a pre-made copy
- of Amiga.lib is now included on this disk.
-
- * PDC.lib:
-
- PDC.lib contains a large subset of the ANSI C functions, as well as some
- runtime support functions and other extensions. A (currently, partial)
- list of the functions provided in PDC.lib and Math.lib can be found in
- the file MANIFEST in the LibSrc directory on the Libs and Utils disk.
-
- * Math.lib:
-
- Math.lib contains library and runtime support functions for performing
- floating point math. Currently, PDC supports only IEEE double precision
- math via the Amiga's shared libraries, ieeedoubbas.library and
- ieeedoubtrans.library. As you may realize, this default requires that
- Workbench 1.3 be available at runtime in order use the transcendental
- functions. The source code for the transcendental functions is
- provided, though, if you care to use it.
-
- Most programs written specifically for the Amiga, including much source
- code to this distribution, require the Amiga header files in order to
- compile. Those who also own one of the commercial C compilers can
- generally get away with using the headers that come with those compilers
- [1]. In any case, I recommend that you obtain the Native Developer
- Update (NDU) from Commodore-Amiga Technical Support (CATS). The NDU
- includes commented and stripped versions of the Amiga C and assembly
- language headers, the fabled Autodocs, a healthy batch of README files,
- and Commodore's standard libraries and utilities. Altogether, you get
- four disks for US$20; an excellent deal.
-
- To receive your own copy of the Native Developer Update, send to the
- following address a check for $20 (US) made payable to Commodore
- Business Machines:
-
- CATS - Orders
- 1200 Wilson Drive
- West Chester, PA 19382
-
-
- [1] However, beware of conflicts! You should set up your PDCIncDirs
- environment variable so that it reads the PDC headers first, lest
- you wind up with the wrong version of stdio.h or some other such
- problem.
-
- Although the PDC Software Distribution is freely distributable, and we wish
- it to remain as much so as possible, there is a considerable amount of time
- involved in maintaining and improving the software and documentation. If
- it proves financially feasible, Paul Petersen and I would like to continue
- improving PDC at a more rapid pace, and still maintain its status as a
- freely distributable package. The bottom line is, your donation of $10, or
- whatever PDC is worth to you, is an excellent way to reward our work and
- encourage further development. Furthermore, if you wish to receive the most
- current release of PDC directly from us, just send in a donation of $15 or
- more and we'll mail out the three-disk set right away. Please make all
- checks payable to Lionel D. Hummel.
-
- If you have access to Usenet, you can participate in discussion on PDC by
- subscribing to the info-pdc mailing list. You can do this by sending email
- to pdc-request@cs.uiuc.edu (uunet!uiucdcs!pdc-request). Or, if you have
- something you wish to discuss with us directly, you can reach us by email:
-
- lionel%large.UUCP@cs.uiuc.edu or, on BIX: lhummel
- petersen@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu
-
- Enjoy,
- Lionel Hummel
- Paul Petersen
-
- PDC Software Distribution
- P.O. Box 4006
- Urbana, IL 61801-8801
-