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- Technical notes for PolyXarc
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- I originally compiled PolyXarc with Microsoft C 5.1 because it's
- the compiler I normally use. Then I ran some tests with PolyXarc
- and RMAP. RMAP is a program that reports memory usage in the
- system, including the remaining memory. RMAP was reporting that
- PolyXarc used up 96688 bytes of memory. But when I converted over
- to Turbo C 2.0, RMAP reported only 32112 bytes used.
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- I did more tests, trying out different memory models. Compact
- model was the best, having a 64k code limitation but allocating
- data from the system, rather than from the stack as small model
- does. MSC's best model (small) required exactly as much memory as
- TC's worst model (medium). Just for comparison, here are the
- figures I got:
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- Turbo C Microsoft C
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
- Small 83744 84512
- Medium 84512 85280
- Compact 32112 96688
- Large 33136 97472
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- Since memory requirements in this application are critical, I
- elected to go with Turbo C without hesitation. However, I have
- left a copy of the Microsoft C make file in case somebody has MSC
- and not TC, and the source files have conditional compilations to
- make up the difference. I also have the MSC file set up to
- compile in small model, and the TC file to compile in compact
- model.
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- Because of the configurable nature of PolyXarc, testing the
- memory size is a breeze. You can easily set up a fake signature
- to call a program like CHKDSK, and then create a test file with
- that signature to trigger the test. That's what I did, using RMAP
- instead of CHKDSK because it's faster.
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- Contents of TEST.TST:
- TEST
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- Signature line in POLYXARC.CFG:
- SIGNATURE 1 0 TEST -o RMAP
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- Naturally, PolyXarc's memory requirements have changed a little
- since I made those initial tests, but I expect that TC will
- continue to blow MSC out of the water for memory size.
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- To make PolyXarc with Turbo C without debug records:
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- make -DDEBUG=/x -fmakpolyx.tc
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- with debug records:
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- make -DDEBUG=/s/l/m/v -fmakpolyx.tc
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- With Microsoft C without Codeview records:
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- make makpolyx.msc
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- with Codeview records:
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- make optlevel=/Od debug=/Zi linkopt=/CO makpolyx.msc
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- That last line also disables optimization. If you use Codeview to
- debug PolyXarc and then want to distribute it, I recommend you
- delete the .OBJ files to force a complete recompilation.
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- Notice that while both sets of files use the MAKE program, the TC
- make file assumes you are using Borland's MAKE program, and the
- MSC make file assumes you are using Microsoft's MAKE program.
- There are critical differences.
-
- - Jeffrey J. Nonken
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